"I don't think anyone slept in the dressing room after that" - Hasan Ali on Mohammad Hafeez's 'sleeping' claims during Australian tour
Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali responded to former Team Director Mohammad Hafeez's claims about the players sleeping during the Test series against Australia at the end of last year. Hafeez took over the role of Pakistan's Director in November last year after their dismal ODI World Cup campaign.
He was also their interim head coach for the Australian tour and the New Zealand tour that followed. However, poor results meant his stint ended in only four months in February this year.
In an interview with Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist on the Club Praire Podcast over a month back, Hafeez said:
"You tell me, Gilly, if a player is sleeping in the dressing room while we're playing Test cricket. 4-5 players are sleeping in the dressing room. Should I allow that as a team director?"
Now in an interview on a local platform, Hasan Ali responded to Hafeez saying:
"I don't know, actually, but it should be the way Hafeez said. I don't think anyone slept in the dressing room after that. When Hafeez said that I was not part of the first game, all the players who were not part of the playing XI were sitting in the dugout watching the game. Even the management was sitting there.
"But I would say especially for the fast bowlers, when you bowl for one and a half days you need to recover, and you could take a 20-30 minute nap, but for those who feel like they need."
Hasan Ali did not play the first Test at Perth before featuring in the 11 for the next two games at Melbourne and Sydney. Yet, it made no difference as Pakistan suffered an embarrassing 0-3 series whitewash.
Hasan Ali opens up on the rule before Hafeez took over
Hasan Ali further mentioned that the previous management allowed the players, especially pacers to have a short nap if needed for recovery.
The 30-year-old struggled in the Australia series, picking up only two wickets at an average of 91 in two games.
"In the past, the management set the rule that if someone needed a nap for recovery, especially the fast bowlers, they could do that. But if Hafeez, as the head coach and director of Cricket, said no one was going to sleep, then fair enough. If he set the rule, we had to follow it," said Hasan.
Hafeez's tenure ended after Pakistan's 1-4 T20I series defeat in New Zealand following the Australian Tests.