India secured a 6-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Super-4 stage of the Asia Cup 2025. Pakistan had made substantial changes to their team for the match, including alterations to their opening pair. Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan were chosen to open for Pakistan. Their initial performance gave the impression that Pakistan’s revised strategy was successful. However, in the third over of the innings, Fakhar Zaman was caught behind off a Hardik Pandya delivery. This dismissal marked the first setback for Pakistan. After the match, Pakistan captain Salman Agha shared his views on the situation.
Salman Agha raised questions regarding the umpire’s decision.
After the Super-4 match, Salman Agha was questioned regarding Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal, and the Pakistan captain criticized the umpire’s decision. Before discussing what Salman Agha said, it is important to understand the events on the field. How was Fakhar Zaman dismissed?
The events surrounding Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal.
During the third over of Pakistan’s innings, a delivery from Hardik Pandya edged off Fakhar Zaman’s bat and went directly to the wicketkeeper, Sanju Samson, who completed the catch. Samson appealed for the dismissal. The field umpire sought the assistance of the third umpire to review the legitimacy of the catch. The third umpire reviewed the footage from different angles and determined that Fakhar Zaman was out. The Pakistani batsman seemed dissatisfied with the third umpire’s decision.
Was it a mistake by the umpire to declare Fakhar Zaman out?
Fakhar Zaman was playing well, and his dismissal was a significant setback for Pakistan. Salman Agha commented on the matter after the match, stating that, in his opinion, the ball had bounced before reaching the wicketkeeper. He suggested that the umpire might have made an error.
This is a recurring problem for the Pakistan team.
This is the second time in the Asia Cup 2025 that the Pakistani team has responded to their defeat in this manner. The Pakistani team, who questioned the third umpire’s decision in the Super-4 match, had requested the removal of the match referee after losing the group stage match. This behavior clearly highlights a recurring issue for Pakistan. As for Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal, it was a clear dismissal, as the ball directly went into the hands of wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.