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Shoaib Akhtar delivers brutal assessment of Pakistan's fielding after multiple dropped catches vs Australia
Shoaib Akhtar wasn't pleased with Pakistan's fielding effort during the World Cup 2023 clash against Australia.
Australia made a striking statement in the World Cup as they posted a formidable total of 367/9 against Pakistan, powered by spectacular centuries from David Warner and Mitchell Marsh. In an electrifying display, Warner notched up his 21st ODI century, amassing 163 runs from 124 balls, while Marsh secured his second century in the format, scoring 121 runs off 108. The opening pair combined to forge a dominant 259-run partnership in just 203 balls, marking only the fourth instance in World Cup history where both openers achieved centuries in a single match.
Warner and Marsh showcased their explosive batting prowess, taking full advantage of a Pakistan bowling unit that struggled to find its way on the inviting M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch. The brisk outfield further amplified the effectiveness of their shots. Warner, in particular, received two lifelines, surviving dropped catches when he had scored 10 and 105.
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The first drop, in particular, drew significant criticism as Usama Mir dropped a dolly when Warner was just on 10. The batter skied Shaheen Afridi's delivery in the fifth over with a top-edge, presenting a straightforward catch opportunity for the fielder stationed at mid-on. However, Mir committed a significant blunder, dropping a significantly easy catch and Warner made Pakistan pay dearly for the drop, adding 153 more runs to his score after the moment.
Steve Smith was also dropped by captain Babar Azam at slip after Mir got the ball to turn sharply away from the right-hander. However, this drop wasn't too costly as the Aussie star batter was dismissed on 7.
Regardless, the poor fielding efforts from Pakistan didn't no unnoticed and the side's former speedster Shoaib Akhtar was severely critical of the dropped catches on his official X account. “As it is, you're not able to create opportunities. Atleast grab the ones which batters are giving. Come on guys, you cant drop so many catches!!!!!!” Akhtar wrote.
Notably, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed a five-wicket haul despite the poor fielding efforts, finishing with figures of 5/54. Pakistan also made an impressive comeback in the second half of the game, removing all of Australia's 10 wickets within 111 runs since the opening breakthrough of Mitchell Marsh. Unsurprisingly, it was Afridi who had picked Marsh's wicket.
