Hasan Ali opens up about most painful moment of his cricketing career

Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali has recalled a painful moment in his cricket career that he says will stay with him forever. 

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Hasan opened up about the dropped catch during the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia — a moment he believes changed the course of the match and possibly the tournament.

Speaking about that incident, Hasan said, "Dropping that catch in the World Cup is a moment that will stay with me forever."

He admitted that the catch should have been taken and accepted that it might have cost Pakistan a place in the final.

“If I had taken that catch, maybe we would have won the match and then possibly lifted the trophy too. That label — that I dropped that catch — will always stay with me,” he said.

Hasan also spoke about how the reaction from fans affected him.

“I deeply respect my fans, whether they remember me with kind words or harsh ones — all are respectable to me. True fans always stood by me. When I dropped that catch, many people turned their backs on me, but there were also some who raised their voice in my support, defended me on social media, and spoke for me on TV. I thank all of them,” he added.

Recalling a painful incident that happened after the dropped catch, he said, “Once, when I was going to the airport, someone looked at my face and hands and sarcastically asked, ‘Are these the same hands that dropped the catch?’ I still remember many such moments.”

For context, the dropped catch was of Australian wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade, who went on to hit three consecutive sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the following three deliveries, taking his team to the final. Australia later defeated New Zealand to win the T20 World Cup 2021.

Pakistan, who were the only unbeaten team in the group stage, had an excellent run in the tournament but fell short in the semi-final — a loss that still haunts many fans and players, especially Hasan Ali.