Pakistan pacer Hasan has thanked the people who supported him during his prolonged injury layoff.

The right-armer made a grand comeback in international cricket by picking a 10-wicket haul during the second Test against South Africa in Rawalpindi. His spirited effort helped Pakistan win the match and series.

“I was injured and I have put in a lot of hard work and my aim was to come back and perform. When I say I wanted to come back, I don’t just mean that I came back, played a match and just left, my aim was to come back and perform for my country,” said Ali.

“The injury was a tough time for me. I was injured, coronavirus was around and I couldn’t even leave the house. I’d like to thank my wife who has been a huge support and motivated me and also my older brother who always said that I would make a comeback. Shoaib Malik was also a big support for me and someone who I spoke with a lot during the time I was injured. I’d also like to especially thank PCB who supported me and sent me overseas for treatment,” he added.

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He also spoke about importance of mental toughness when he was on the sidelines.

“The biggest thing was though that I never accepted defeat during my injury problems and I had my mind set on getting fit again. I recall I was doing rehab 3 or 4 times a day and days like today make you appreciate the hard work that I put in,” he concluded.