Tag: Saud Shakeel

  • Sarfraz and Saud Shakeel get into an argument during practice session

    Sarfraz and Saud Shakeel get into an argument during practice session

    Saud Shakeel, the middle-order batsman of the national cricket team, got into an argument with Sarfaraz Ahmed during a training session in Australia. A video of the two having a minor clash has become the center of attention of users on social media.

    It can be seen in the video that Saud Shakeel asks Sarfaraz Ahmed “How long will I continue to work for you,” to which Sarfraz replies, “You are of no use to me, I have never instructed you to do anything.”

    Sarfaraz then turns around, while Saud walks a short distance away.

  • ‘When you have your crowd then you get the support’: Saud Shakeel

    ‘When you have your crowd then you get the support’: Saud Shakeel

    Pakistan paid a heavy price for being “under extra pressure” in their World Cup defeat by arch-rivals India, said batsman Saud Shakeel, who Wednesday lamented the absence of the team’s passionate supporters from the tournament.

    Pakistan were thrashed by seven wickets on Saturday at Ahmedabad’s 132,000-capacity stadium where there was only a handful of Pakistani supporters.

    Babar Azam’s team slumped from a solid 155-2 in the 30th over to be dismissed for a paltry 191.

    “I think we were under extra pressure so we tried to get out of that and wanted to play shots,” Shakeel told AFP on Wednesday.

    The smattering of Pakistani fans at the game were expatriates from the United Kingdon and United States.

    Supporters from across the border are effectively banned after a failure to gain visas.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday lodged an official complaint with the world governing body over the visa delays which have also kept many members of the country’s media at home.

    The PCB also complained over what they described as the “inappropriate behaviour” of Indian fans towards the Pakistan squad at the Ahmedabad game.

    “When you have your crowd then you get the support. We did not get that and it was not in our hands,” added Shakeel.

    Despite an eighth loss in eight World Cup meetings with their arch-rivals, Pakistan are still well-placed in the tournament after wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.

    Middle-order batsman Shakeel scored 68 against the Netherlands before making 31 in the game with Sri Lanka. He was out for just six against India.

    Next up for Pakistan is another high-profile duel, this time with five-time champions Australia in Bengaluru on Friday.

    “The mistakes we committed in the last game, we must overcome them. That match is gone. If we win against Australia then our position will get better,” added Shakeel.

    “Australia are always good in the World Cup. They are a very good side. We know our strong areas and we must play good cricket.”

    “We had a good start to the tournament with two wins. We want to go match by match and not commit the mistakes we did against India.”

    On Wednesday, all the Pakistan players with the exception of Mohammad Haris trained in Bengaluru.

    Haris is still suffering from a fever which laid low many of the squad when they arrived from Ahmedabad.

    Star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and opener Abdullah Shafique were the worst hit but were present in the nets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

  • PAK vs ENG: Saud Shakeel’s dismissal sparks debate on social media

    PAK vs ENG: Saud Shakeel’s dismissal sparks debate on social media

    The middle-order batter Saud Shakeel was given out during a vital stage of the second Test match against England, sparking yet another controversy on social media.

    The left-hander nicked Mark Wood’s delivery on the leg-side, which was saved by wicket-keeper Ollie Pope with a fully extended dive. He was just six runs away from a magnificent century.

    Field umpires also awarded Saud Shakeel the benefit of the doubt since it was evident from the action replay that the ball impacted the ground. But the TV Umpire was asked to look into the situation.

    The third empire gave him out despite the review indicating that the ball struck the ground first, shocking spectators and the Pakistan team.

    Speaking to the media after the match, Babar revealed that everyone, including him, in the dressing room felt the ball had touched the ground.

    “The Shakeel dismissal cost us,” he said. “It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire’s decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded.”

    Former England captain Michael Vaughan also questioned the third umpire’s decision on his Twitter account, saying “Thought I saw a little bit of the ball hitting the ground with that last dismissal. What another great Test match.”

    ESPNcricinfo also questioned the decision and asked on its official Twitter account, “Was that a clean catch by Pope?”

    A number of fans believe that it was a “clear not out” and the issue has sparked plenty of debate on social media.