MULTAN: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has put forward his stance on SaudShakeel’s controversial dismissal, saying that it seemed like the ball hadmade the ground first but one has to accept the umpires’ decision.
The dismissal, which apparently cost Pakistan a 26-run defeat againstEngland in the second Test, occurred on day 4 when Saud was batting at 94with Pakistan just 65 runs away from the target. He gloved the ball behindstumps off Mark Wood and wicket-keeper Ollie Pope dived to carry an edgethat went too low but still managed to get his gloves underneath the ball.
On-field umpires referred the decision to third umpire Joel Wilson who tooka while to check the catch and declared it out at last.
“To us, it seems like the ball has touched the ground first,” said thePakistan captain in a post-match press conference on Monday. “But as aprofessional, you have to accept the umpire’s decision.
Following Saud’s dismissal, England pacers ran through the tailender tobundle out Pakistan for 328 in the second innings and took an unassailable2-0 lead in the series after a dramatic win in Multan.
“We made some mistakes. The game was well in our hands like the previousone, but, unfortunately, we couldn’t finish it properly,” said Babar.
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He added that the lack of experience especially the absence of the team’skey fast bowlers due to injuries led to the team’s disappointing loss inthe match.
“We were a bit unlucky that our main bowlers got unfit before the gamewhich cost us this series. But this cannot be an excuse because as a teamwe didn’t play good cricket” he said.
Pakistan team had rested its bowling mainstay, Naseem Shah after hesuffered discomfort in his shoulder before the start of the second Testmatch while Haris Rauf was ruled out of the series after pulling a quadinjury in the first Test.
The final Test of the historic three-match series will take place fromDecember 17 to 21 in Karachi.
