KEY POINTS
- Captain Salman Agha questioned the legitimacy of the catch
- The incident sparked widespread criticism from former cricketers, experts, and fans
DUBAI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over Fakhar Zaman’s controversial dismissal against India in the Asia Cup Super Four match in Dubai, questioning the third umpire’s decision to uphold a disputed catch.
Pakistan’s T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, also issued a negative report concerning the TV umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge’s decision. During a media briefing, Agha expressed concerns that the ball have bounced before being collected, questioning the legitimacy of the dismissal.
He remarked, “Fakhar was batting well; if he had continued through the power play, we might have scored around 190 runs.”
The controversy centered around Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal after a catch behind the stumps. The left-hander was performing well, having scored 15 runs off nine balls with three boundaries.
The incident occurred in the third delivery of the third over of Pakistan’s innings when Hardik Pandya delivered a slower ball that Fakhar edged towards the wicketkeeper, Sanju Samson. Fakhar was given out caught behind, despite doubts about whether the ball had touched the ground before being caught.
The third umpire conducted a review to determine if the ball had hit the ground prior to the catch and ultimately upheld the decision to dismiss Fakhar. The decision left Fakhar visibly shocked and disbelieving as he left the field.
The decision drew criticism from former cricketers and commentators, including Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who questioned the legitimacy of the catch. Additionally, fans and experts on social media platform X voiced their concerns about the fairness of the decision.
Indian journalist Rahul Rawat commented that Fakhar Zaman appeared to have been wrongly given out, suggesting that the ball may have touched the ground before reaching the Indian wicketkeeper.
Notably, former Pakistani cricketers Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, and Fawad Alam publicly condemned the decision, describing it as “unacceptable” given the significance of the game.
