Former Pakistani cricketer Umar Gill alleged that Shadab Khan took an escape route from the pressure during Pakistan's recent World Cup 2023 game against South Africa on Friday, October 27. Pakistan suffered a heartbreaking one-wicket defeat while defending 270 runs in Chennai and now they face the nearly impossible task of qualifying for the semifinal.
Shadab was excellent with a bat as he scored crucial 43 runs off 36 balls to help Pakistan put in a challenging total. But the spin all-rounder suffered a head injury while fielding in the first over and left the field. Pakistan then made a first-ever concussion substitute by bringing like-to-like Usama Mir as Shadab's replacement.
Gul, a former pacer, joined the cricket fraternity to criticize Pakistan's disappointing campaign and slammed Shadab for 'playing with the emotions of Pakistani people'. Gul accused Shadab of leaving the field to escape the pressure of bowling and said it was not funny.
"I don't think Shadab had a serious injury," Umar Gul said on his YouTube channel. "When one or two wickets were left, he came out on camera to cheer and clap for the team. It just means that you are playing with the emotions of 24 crore Pakistani people. It is not funny."
"He went off and after a while came back. His scans were apparently also clear. I think he took a route to escape from the pressure and action on the field."
Usama Mir took two crucial wickets to make an impact but South Africa narrowly survived the late scare to earn a thrilling win. Pakistan suffered their fourth straight defeat in the tournament and are placed in the sixth position with four points in six games. Pakistan next face Bangladesh, New Zealand and England in their remaining group-stage games and need to win all fixtures to stand a chance to secure a place in the knockout.
