After a lengthy five-month hiatus where he went through rehabilitation of his back, Pakistan fast bowler Hassan Ali injured his groin playing for Central Punjab against Northern Punjab in the second round fixture of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, country's premier domestic first-class competition.
Subsequently, the young right-arm quick has been ruled out of the third round. "Ali is working with a physiotherapist in Karachi and has been advised at least a week's rest before any further decision is made on his fitness," stated a report by ESPNcricinfo.
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"He is being continuously monitored and underwent an MRI scan to get more clarity about the severity of the injury. He has also reduced any further toil on his body and is doing only light training for now."
Ali had spent seven months at PCB's High Performance Centre in Lahore before making himself available for competitive cricket again. But after copping up quite well in the first round game against Sindh in Karachi, where he delivered 32.3 overs, he could only manage another 6.2 overs versus Northern Punjab on Day 1 (October 31) and didn't return to take the field.
Ali has been dealt one injury blow after another since his last international outing back at the 2019 World Cup in the UK. The 26-year-old suffered a back injury during the opening round of the last year's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and then went through a seven-week-long recovery process.
Then declared fit to play the final round first-class fixture, he sustained a rib fracture that further sidelined him for best part of two months.
However, the fast bowler was still seen playing PSL 2020 for Peshawar Zalmi. Before the pandemic brought the entire world to a halt, injury issues seemed to have affected Ali's performances as he only took 8 wickets in 9 games while conceding 8.59 runs per over for Zalmi.
The back pain soon reocurred with the scans then revealing that Ali is carrying "symptoms similar to that of a lumbar herniated disk," the report says. "Ali consulted an Australian doctor and avoided surgery on his back while continuing to work and train with a physiotherapist."
Even though losing out on a central contract, Ali will have his medical expenses covered entirely by the PCB, which will also assist him from the board's welfare fund. The fund is generally reserved for retired cricketers in need.
(Inputs from ESPNcricinfo)
