Hasan wins player of tournament award

LONDON: Pakistan’s Hasan Ali on Sunday became the first player from his country to win the player of the ICC Champions Trophy award. 

Hasan also won the Golden Ball trophy after finishing the series with 13 wickets, while India opener Shikhar Dhawan, who had won the player of the tournament in 2013, walked away with the Golden Bat trophy with 338 runs. 

Hasan was in sublime form in the tournament when he displayed excellent variation, picked up wickets consistently and in crucial phases during Pakistan’s successful journey in the competition, which had started with a 124 runs drubbing at hands of India at Edgbaston on June 4. 

After being at the wrong end of the stick against India when he picked up one for 70 in 10 overs, Hasan bounced back strongly and returned figures of three for 24 against South Africa, three for 43 against Sri Lanka, three for 35 against England in the Cardiff semi-final and three for 19 in the final against India. 

As such, he finished the series with 13 wickets at an average of 14.69 and an economy-rate of 4.29. 

Hassan was selected as the Player of the Tournament by a five-person selection panel that comprised Geoff Allardice (ICC General Manager – Cricket, and Chairman Event Technical Committee), former captains Michael Atherton of England, India’s Sourav Ganguly, Ramiz Raja of Pakistan, as well as Lawrence Booth (Editor, Wisden Almanack, and cricket writer, The Mail) and Julian Guyer (AFP). 

Meanwhile, Dhawan won the Golden Bat trophy after finishing as the leading run-getter. 

The left-hander scored 68 against Pakistan, 125 against Sri Lanka, 78 against South Africa, 46 in the semi-final against Bangladesh and 21 against Pakistan in the final. 

Cricket team greeted 

MULTAN: Mayor Multan Chaudhary Naveedul Haq Aaraen on Sunday congratulated the people for winning the Champions Trophy and said the cricket team had won hearts of the nation. 

He said this while talking to the media at the Multan Arts Council here. Naveedul Haq had arranged a big screen at the Arts Council for the match between Pakistan and India.  Hundreds of people, including children, enjoyed the match. He said it was a great gift of the Pakistani Cricket team to the nation. 

On this occasion, the mayor also arranged an Iftaar dinner for the spectators at the Arts Council. Pakistan Muslim League-N MPAs Ehsanuddin Qureshi,Shehzad Maqbool Bhutta and others were also present.