NEW DELHI: Fielding has never been a strong suit for Pakistan cricket team and when Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped a sitter during the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide, it turned out to a be an exact case in point for legendary Wasim Akram, who moments before was elaborating on team’s fielding lapses.
During the second game of the series, Akram, while doing commentary was explaining to his fellow commentators what has ailed Pakistan’s fielding and the Shaheen soon after Akram’s remark turned out to be a perfect coincidence.
The entire episode took place in the fourth over of the Australia innings when Naseem Shah bowled a short ball to Matthew Short. As Short pulled the ball, it went straight to Shaheen at deep backward square-leg. Shaheen went for the catch reverse-cup but the ball burst through his hands and then rolled on to the fence, adding salt to injury.
What made the sequence more interesting was that moments before the dropped catch, Akram was explaining how he had Waqar Younis, during their playing days, relied on LBW and bowled dismissals due to Pakistan’s poor fielding.
“We didn’t trust our fielders (laughs). That was one of the reasons. We only heard from slip cordon… Sorry, didn’t see the ball. Every time,” Akram had said.
However, despite the dropped Shaheen catch, Pakistan went on to thrash Australia by 9 wickets in the second game to take the series into the decider.
Haris Rauf (5/29) and Shaheen (3/26) first starred with the ball, claiming 8 wickets combined and then openers Saim Ayub (82) and Abdullah Shafique (64 not out) hit fifties to take their side home inside 27 overs.