English county side Lancashire have completed the overseas signing of top Pakistani seamer Hasan Ali for the first six matches of the 2022 LV= Insurance County Championship.The 27-year-old Ali has a proven track record and has snared 72 wickets at an average of 21 in Test matches and an overall first-class tally of 244 wickets at 23.Ali first played for Pakistan in August 2016 in an ODI before making his T20I debut against England, at the Emirates Old Trafford.He then made his Test debut against the West Indies in early 2017 and has gone on to feature 17 times for his country in red-ball cricket, proving a difficult proposition for batters with his tight lines and variations. The right-arm pacer has since claimed six five-wicket hauls at Test level including against the No. 1-ranked side, New Zealand."I am very proud to follow in the footsteps of Wasim Akram, a Pakistan legend, who always talks so highly of his time with Lancashire.
I can't wait to join up with the squad in April and I hope to make a significant contribution in the games that I play," Ali wrote on Lancashire's twitter handle late on Tuesday night.Ali was named in Pakistan's squad for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England and played a key role as the sub-continental side were crowned champions. Ali spearheaded the Pakistan attack, taking 17 wickets to finish as leading wicket taker and Player of the Tournament while conceding 4.29 runs per over."He will arrive at Emirates Old Trafford on April 1 and will be in contention to make his English county debut against Kent at Canterbury on April 14. Hasan will be available until after Lancashire's match against Essex which starts on May 19 at Emirates Old Trafford," a Lancashire statement said.
Speaking after agreeing to join Lancashire Cricket, Ali said, "I am very excited at the prospect of playing county cricket in England for the first time in my career. Emirates Old Trafford is a stadium which holds special memories for me, after making my T20 International debut against England there in 2016."Lancashire head coach, Glen Chapple, added, "We are delighted to have signed Hasan for the first six matches of this summer's County Championship. We've been carefully assessing our options and looking to add the right overseas player to help us achieve our goals."Hasan is a high-quality player and has a fine record in First-Class and Test match cricket. We believe that his red ball skills will complement our bowling attack nicely and that the experience he has gained at international level can bring a lot into our dressing room."