Pakistan’s Fielding Woes Continue as Shaheen Drops Sitter
Pakistan’s fielding woes have been a persistent issue, and the dropped catch by Shaheen Shah Afridi during the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide served as a glaring example. Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram, who was commentating on the match, had just been discussing Pakistan’s fielding lapses when Shaheen’s error occurred.
Akram explained that during his playing days with Waqar Younis, they relied heavily 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 said.
The dropped catch by Shaheen came in the fourth over of Australia’s innings. Naseem Shah bowled a short ball to Matthew Short, who pulled it straight to Shaheen at deep backward square-leg. Shaheen attempted a reverse-cup catch, but the ball burst through his hands and rolled to the boundary.
Despite the fielding error, Pakistan went on to thrash Australia by 9 wickets in the second game, taking the series into a decider. Haris Rauf (5/29) and Shaheen (3/26) starred with the ball, claiming 8 wickets combined. Openers Saim Ayub (82) and Abdullah Shafique (64 not out) then hit fifties to guide Pakistan to victory within 27 overs.
Pakistan’s fielding has been a major concern for years, and the dropped catch by Shaheen highlighted the need for improvement. The team will need to address this issue if they want to compete with the top teams in the world.
