Pakistan‘s inconsistent fielding performances have been a topic of discussion and debate in the cricketing world for years. While the team boasts formidable batting and bowling talents, their fielding has often been their Achilles’ heel. This aspect of their game once again came under scrutiny during a warm-up clash against Australia ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023, held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
The incident that added fuel to this debate unfolded during the 23rd over of the Australian innings. Haris Rauf, Pakistan’s right-arm pacer, bowled a short of a length delivery to Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne, known for his precision, delicately guided the ball towards deep backward square leg. What followed was a comedy of errors that left the cricketing world in splits.
Both Mohammad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz, the Pakistani fielders in the vicinity, rushed to intercept the ball. However, their eagerness to make the stop almost resulted in a collision. In a comical turn of events, as they tried to avoid bumping into each other, the ball miraculously squeezed through the gap between them and rolled away to the boundary, allowing Australia to add four runs to their total.
Shikhar Dhawan’s hilarious take on the incident
The video of this unintended slapstick moment spread like wildfire across social media platforms. Cricket enthusiasts from around the world couldn’t help but chuckle at the mishap. Joining the chorus of amusement was veteran Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, known for his wit and humor.
Dhawan took to X (formerly called Twitter) to share the video, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek caption. In his tweet, he wrote, “Pakistan & fielding, a never-ending love story #PakistanFielding #PakCricket.” The tweet quickly gained traction and garnered responses from fans, both in jest and in admiration of Dhawan’s playful banter.
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Pakistan & fielding never ending love story 🥰😄😄 #PakistanFielding #PakCricket pic.twitter.com/AJzT90hgNM
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) October 3, 2023
Australia prevails in warm-up clash
While the fielding mishap was undoubtedly a moment of levity in the game, the overall contest between Pakistan and Australia was intense. The Australian side posted an imposing total of 351/7, with standout performances from Glenn Maxwell (77), Cameron Green (50), and David Warner (48).
In response, Pakistan’s batsmen showed resilience, with Iftikhar Ahmed scoring 83 and Babar Azam contributing 90 runs. However, despite their efforts, Pakistan were bowled out for 337, falling short of the target.
