'Didn't look at him. I obviously was angry but...': Imam recalls horrible Babar mix-up that left him furious on camera
A visibly frustrated Imam-ul-Haq vented out his frustration and jammed his bat on the ground as he made his way back.
As Pakistan recorded their 10th consecutive ODI series win over the West Indies last month, Babar Azam ticked off another huge milestone as he became the first batter to score nine consecutive half-centuries in all three formats of cricket. In the second ODI in Multan, the Pakistan skipper notched up 77 off 93 balls and added yet another fifty-plus score to his name to enter the record books. Also Read | 'He is way ahead right now. Want him to break plenty of Kohli’s records but...': Imam's honest verdict on Virat vs Babar
Pakistan put a total of 275/8 all thanks to Babar's 77 and his teammate and friend Imam-ul-Haq scoring 72. Opener Haq hit a run-a-ball 72 but a terrible mix-up cut his innings short. On the fifth ball of the 28th over, Haq tapped left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein's ball to mid-wicket for a quick single but Babar, who wasn't interested in the run, left his partner in tatters.
Nicholas Pooran gathered the ball cleanly and whipped the bails off in a flash to catch Haq miles away from his crease. A visibly frustrated Haq vented out his frustration and jammed his bat on the ground as he made his way back.
Over a month later, Haq has revisited the run-out, saying he was enraged at Babar but decided not to react on camera. The left-handed batter explained his dismissals in the series and said he wanted to score at least two tons.
"I reacted in the heat of the moment. Yes, I was obviously very angry and it was clear by the TV visuals. I didn't look at him (Babar) as I didn't want to show my anger on camera. I feel both batters are responsible during a run-out. We both made a mistake but I feel Babar was at fault because the call was mine," Haq said on SAMAA News.
"I was never so frustrated over a game. In three games, I would have got at least two centuries. But I was too impatient and excited to express myself. I was focused to get a century but was run out in one game, and got caught off a reverse-sweep in another. I got out to Nicholas Pooran in the third game. I didn't understand what I did in all three matches," he added.
In the third ODI, Haq scored a brilliant 68-ball 62, while there was a rare failure for Babar, who perished for one off three balls. But Shadab Khan hit a fighting half-century to lift Pakistan to 269-9. His leg-spin then helped him take 4-62 to dismiss the visitors for 216 in 37.2 overs.
Pakistan won the third and final game by 53 runs and the 3-0 clean-sweep lifted them to 90 points, fourth in the 13-team ODI League table.
