Cricketer-turned-expert Shoaib Akhter slammed the third umpire for the controversial call on opening batter Fakhar Zaman's dismissal in India vs Pakistan Super 4 clash in the ongoing Asia Cup on September 21 in Dubai. The southpaw was given out caught behind by keeper Sanju Samson of the bowling of Hardik Pandya on 15. The former Pakistani pacer particularly focused on the contentious call of the opening batter, describing it as a "wrong decision."
Speaking on Tapmad post-match, Akhter was very blunt in assessing how the umpire had blundered in giving Fakhar out, and stated the decision changed the course of the game.
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"Fakhar out nai tha. Benefit of doubt jana chahiye that usko... idher se mujhe angle nahi mil raha, kyun nai mil raha angle? 26 camera lage hai, angle nahi mil raha. Do usne angle dekhe aur usne decision de diya usne. Jisme ek me saamne lag raha tha. Shayad match ban jata agar Fakhar khel jata. Overall, umpiring ka level mujhe mazedaar nai laga, third umpiring ka.
Clear lagta hai, niche ball hai. (Fakhar wasn't out. He should have gotten the benefit of the doubt... He (umpire) can't see the angle from here. Why can't he see the angle? There are 26 cameras, yet no angle is visible. He looked at two angles and made his decision. In one, it seemed to hit the front. Maybe the match would have turned if Fakhar had played. Overall, I didn't find the level of umpiring, especially third umpiring, satisfactory. It clearly looks like the ball is down." Akhtar said.
Salman Agha opens up about the controversial Fakhar dismissal
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha opened up about the debatable call. The right-hand batter stressed that India's disciplined bowling and his own team's patchy form with bat and ball were the primary reasons for the six-wicket defeat.
"Umpires can make mistakes. To me, it looked like it bounced before it carried. Umpires can also make mistakes. I can be wrong as well," Agha said.
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Notably, Fakhar looked in fine touch, as he had asserted dominance on Jasprit Bumrah in the power play. However, just when the southpaw was about to cut loose, he was dismissed for a nine-ball 15 runs.
