Wasim Akram slams Abdullah Shafique for ‘silent’ celebration in PSL

Former Pakistan seamer Wasim Akram lashed out at Abdullah Shafique for his ‘silent’ celebration in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024. During the 23rd game of PSL on 6 March, Shafique helped the Lahore Qalandars against Islamabad United by serving as a substitute fielder.

On the last ball of the sixth over during the run chase, Shafique took a brilliant catch in the slips to dismiss Imad Wasim at 4 runs. He then celebrated the wicket by putting a finger on his lips. While Akram applauded the substitute’s catch, he did not approve of his celebration.

“No doubt, great catch but who is responsible for dropping 36 catches in Australia’s Test series? Who will answer for that? Abdullah should work in the drama industry rather than in cricket”, the former Pakistan seamer said on ASports.

Akram’s criticism of Abdullah Shafique goes back to the three-match Test series that Pakistan played against Australia in December. The young batter produced a fine half-century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but was also responsible for dropping some crucial catches. His fielding mishaps proved costly as they gave extra lives to David Warner and Mitchell Marsh. His blunders eventually led to a 79-run defeat for Pakistan in Melbourne. This was followed by the young batter being dismissed for twin-ducks in Sydney, ultimately leading to a 3-0 whitewash.

Coming back to the PSL game, Islamabad United won the toss at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and chose to bowl. South African batter Rassie van der Dussen smashed 64 runs in 44 balls to help Lahore put up 162 runs in the first half. Rumman Raees produced the best bowling figures for Islamabad, scalping two wickets in three overs while giving away 19 runs.

In the second half, Islamabad skipper Shaheen Afridi and Zaman Khan combined for six wickets to curb their opponents at 145. Faheem Ashraf had the best batting performance for Islamabad but it still didn’t seal them a win. The Lahore Qalandars finished off the game by sealing their first victory of the tournament by 17 runs.