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Pakistan’s legendary all-rounder Wasim Akram was not happy with Lahore Qalandars’ player Abdullah Shafique’s ‘finger on your lips’ celebration after taking a catch in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 encounter against Islamabad United. Akram acknowledged that Shafique took a brilliant catch in the slip but questioned his celebration which was a message to silence the critics.
"It was a brilliant catch no doubt, but what about the 36 catches he dropped in Australia? He's telling people to stay quiet and stop criticising. Tell him to leave cricket and start working in dramas,” Akram said on A Sports’ ‘The Pavillion’ show.
The catch was taken in the sixth over. After Colin Munro was run out, David Wiese managed to get an outside edge off Imad Wasim's bat. Shafique dived to his right to take the catch in the slips. Wasim departed after scoring just one boundary.
Shafique’s poor form
Shafique did not play the match and came as a substitute fielder. He has not been in the best of forms this season scoring 45 runs from three games.
Lahore Qalandars’ first win of PSL 2024
Earlier, Shadab Khan won the toss and opted to bowl first. Rassie van der Dussen's 44-ball 64 and cameos from skipper Shaheen Afridi (14-ball 30) and Wiese (11-ball 24) helped Lahore Qalandars post 162/7.
In the run chase, Islamabad United faltered in the powerplay overs. First Afridi dismissed Alex Hales for a two-ball duck then Zaman Khan got rid of Agha Salman and Shadab for single-digit scores. Islamabad United ended up losing six wickets for just 38 runs in the seventh over.
Cameos from wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan (19-ball 29), Naseem Shah (16-ball 27), and Faheem Ashraf's unbeaten 31-ball 41 could not get Islamabad United close to the target as they got bowled out for 145, losing the match by 17 runs. Zaman was the pick of the bowlers with a four-wicket haul.
This was Lahore Qalandars' first win of the tournament after six losses. They are at the bottom of the table with just three points from eight games.
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