The Asia Cup Super Four encounter between Pakistan and Bangladesh saw yet another domineering display from the hosts as they defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets to continue their impressive run. However, the fixture also brought embarrassment to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after a floodlight malfunction led to a 20-od minute stoppage in play.
The incident has left PCB red-faced and triggered a wide array of reactions across social media platforms targetting the apex governing body in Pakistan. The embarrassing event happened after the end of the fifth over as Pakistan’s openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq looked to get their eyes in during the run chase.
After waiting for a while, players headed back to the pavilion due to the malfunctioning of one of the floodlight towers at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore – the venue for the fixture. To the disappointment of the spectators who had gathered at the venue to witness the game, there was no play possible for 20-odd minutes. However, the concerned authorities took cognizance of the situation and fixed the issue which led to the resumption of play before it could bring any more embarrassment to the PCB.
Netizens took to ‘X’ formerly Twitter and took a dig at the board for the arrangements made for the game. Some users of the social media platform also criticised the Zaka Ashraf-led board for making claims of hosting high-profile tournaments like the Asia Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy successfully.
While the PCB copped a lot of flak for the technical snag that occurred, the Pakistan cricket team continued its brilliant display on the field and won the first fixture of the Super Four stage. Being asked to bowl first after losing the toss, the Babar Azam-led unit was remarkable with the ball in hand as magnificent bowling displays from pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf jolted Bangladesh’s batting order badly and restricted the Shakib Al Hasan-led side to just 194 in 38.4 overs.
Rauf was the pick of the bowlers as he bagged a four-for and was well-supported by Naseem who finished with 3/34 in his 5.4 overs. Chasing a below-par total on a batting deck wasn’t going to be an issue for Pakistan as they romped home with seven wickets in hand.
Meanwhile, here is how netizens reacted to the floodlight malfunction during the clash:
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