During the ICC Cricket World Cup practice match between Pakistan and New Zealand at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the Shaheens won the toss and opted to bat first. New Zealand secured an early breakthrough as Matt Henry dismissed Imam-ul-Haq (1) in the third over, with Tom Latham making the catch behind the stumps.
Latham further troubled Pakistan by removing Abdullah Shafique. In the 12th over, Mitchell Santner decided to flight the ball to the Pakistani opener. Observing the ball’s trajectory, Shafique advanced down the track, attempting an expansive lofted drive over extra cover.
However, the ball turned away from the right-hander, and he completely missed the line, allowing Latham to complete the dismissal.
What added a touch of humor to the situation was Shafique’s insistence on holding his heroic pose even after Latham had dislodged the bails.
Abdullah Shafique gets STUMPED #PAKvsNZ #nzvspak #Cricket #ICC #PCB #HIGHLIGHT #Sport #WarmUp #Pakistan #NewZealand #NZ #Pak #WorldCup2023 #WorldCup #ICCWorldCup2023 #ICCWorldCup pic.twitter.com/05l5Pw0Gt3
— Neha (@ind_finity) September 29, 2023
Twitter users couldn’t contain their laughter this extraordinary and unnecessary display of heroism by the Pakistani opener, making it a memorable moment in the match.