Pakistan team management has reportedly formally raised concerns over Fakhar Zaman's dismissal during the Asia Cup 2025, Super Four clash against India at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.
After being asked the bat, Fakhar was promoted as Pakistan opener and toyed with the Indian field by reeling in back-to-back fours off pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the second over. However, his hard-hitting knock came to an end with Hardik Pandya's moment of brilliance in the next over.
Hardik rolled his fingers and bowled an off-cutter to induce an edge of Fakhar, which flew to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson. It was a blink-and-you-miss moment as the on-field umpires were unsure about the legality of the catch and sent it upstairs for confirmation. Fakhar hung around the umpires while the third umpire, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, checked different angles and confirmed Samson had legally taken the catch.
A day after the clash, Pakistan's Samaa TV reported that Pakistan's team management has alleged that the third umpire failed to review the evidence properly. Pakistan's team manager, Naveed Akram Cheema, has written an email to the match referee and umpires, questioning the decision-making process that led to Fakhar being declared out.
After watching it from different angles, the TV umpire adjudged that Samson's fingers were underneath the ball. Fakhar was looking disappointed with the umpire's decision and shook his head while returning to the dressing room, scoring 15(9). He was also seen having a brief chat with PCB head coach Mike Hesson while climbing the stairs.
According to Samaa TV, the Pakistan management claimed the TV umpire did not examine all available angles before announcing its decision. Pakistan's protest emphasised how the evidence was not "clear and conclusive" to justify ruling Fakhar out, and the umpire's call favoured the fielding side despite replays showing a margin of uncertainty.
Coming back to the match, India's openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma went all guns blazing while chasing 172 runs as the Men in Blue chased down the total in 18.5 overs with six wickets in hand. After the clash, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha subtly hinted that the decision from the umpire could have been wrong. Agha felt the ball had bounced before Samson pouched it in his gloves.
"I don't know about the decision. As far as I'm concerned, I thought it was. It's obviously the umpire's job. Umpires can make mistakes, and I have no problem with that, but it does look like it bounced before; I might be wrong. I don't know," Salman said while speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference.
"It was something, you can say, the way he was batting, if he batted throughout the power-play, we would probably have scored 190. You never know. Yeah, that's the umpire's call, and they can make mistakes. I don't know, to me, it bounced before the keeper, but yeah, I can be wrong as well," he concluded.
India and Pakistan have faced each other twice in the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, where the Men in Blue defeated the neighbouring nation in both matches by seven and six wickets respectively.