AFG vs PAK: Pakistan batter Iftikhar Ahmed took a dig at Afghanistan for their act against all-rounder Shadab Khan in the second ODI of the three-match series. The Men in Green defeated Hashmatullah Shahidi's Afghanistan in a nail-biter ODI at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota on Thursday night. Naseem Shah proved to be the nemesis for Afghanistan and Fazalhaq Farooqi as he took the team to a famous one-wicket win.
However, the game caught special attention when Farooqi attempted a run-out against Shadab Khan at the non-striker's end at the start of the final over. The Pakistani all-rounder went out of his crease before Farooqi delivered his first ball in the last over and was run out by the bowler. As the Babar Azam's side needed 11 runs in the final over, the Men in Green suffered a fatal blow when Shadab departed at the start of the final over. However, Naseem Shah's twin boundaries helped Pakistan go all the way. After the game, Ahmed took a dig at Afghanistan and Farooqi with his post on Twitter.
Surprisingly, he did not put the photo of Naseem Shah's classic finish, which was doing the rounds on social media. Instead, he chose to post a picture of the run-out, congratulating Pakistan for the win. "Congratulations Team Pakistan," he wrote in the caption while tagging Shadab Khan in the post.
Meanwhile, the run-out drew criticism from a section of fans on Twitter. Some criticised Afghanistan for the act, while some hailed Naseem Shah for his finishing touches. Many connected his finish with the one Naseem did in the Asia Cup 2022 against Afghanistan. Coincidentally, he helped his team win a match in the Asia Cup in the final over against Farooqi itself.
