Clearly, it’s the job of the umpire and they can err,” says Pakistan captain on Zaman’s dismissal
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has expressed reservations over the controversial dismissal of opener Fakhar Zaman in the Super Four match of the ACC Men’s Asia T20 Cup 2025 against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Expressing his objection in a press conference following Pakistan’s second consecutive loss to India in the tournament, Agha said,
The delivery, though, lost its pace off the pitch, compelling Samson to crouch forward and take the catch.
With the ball being in such close proximity to the pitch at the collection point, the on-field umpires sought the opinion of the third umpire. Fakhar seemed certain the ball had hit the grass and waited for the call.
Following numerous replays from different angles, third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge gave Fakhar out. The left-hander hesitated briefly in shock before trudging back to the pavilion.
On his way back, he was spotted talking to head coach Mike Hesson about the decision, looking taken aback by the result.
I believe the ball rebounded’: Salman Ali Agha on Fakhar Zaman’s disputed dismissal
The sending-off was soon fodder for social media debate, with fans and ex-players condemning the standards of umpiring in the high-profile match.
Former Pakistan cricketers Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, and Fawad Alam were among the many who vociferously denounced the call as “unacceptable” in a game of such importance.
In the meantime, India won their second match against Pakistan in the same tournament.
India batted first and set 171-5 in 20 overs for the men in blue, but the green shirts’ set goal was chased down successfully by the former in 18.5 overs with four wickets remaining in hand due to opener Abhishek Sharma’s match-winning innings of 74 from 39 balls.
For the unaware, India’s next game is against Bangladesh at the same ground on Wednesday.
