The conflict of opinions arose because of a controversial dismissal of Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins was surprised to hear Pakistan were the superior team in the Boxing Day Test despite the hosts securing a win. That was the assessment of Pakistan’s team director Mohammad Hafeez, who after issuing a stinging critique of the officiating at the MCG, declared they had outplayed “the other team” despite falling short by 79 runs.
“The whole game I will sum up, our Pakistan team played better than the other team in general,” he said after the match.
In response, the Boxing Day Test man of the match smiled before declaring; “Ahhhh. Cool. They played well. I am glad we got the win.”
The conflict of opinions arose because of a controversial dismissal of Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan. The Decision Review System (DRS) and its effectiveness became the focal point of a lively debate after Cummins successfully challenged a decision to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan in the latter stages of the Test, a moment that occurred when the match was still in a closely contested state.
This particular decision drew criticism from Hafeez, who deemed the officiating inconsistent and labeled the DRS technology a “curse” on cricket, particularly as Pakistan appeared to be on the wrong end of four umpiring decisions during the Test.
Acknowledging the importance of dropped catches, Hafeez conceded that missed opportunities, such as those involving David Warner in the first innings and Mitch Marsh in the second innings, allowed the Australian batsmen to accumulate a combined 112 runs after Abdullah Shafique failed to hold onto chances while fielding at first slip.
ALSO READ: “Pakistan robbed”: Fans run riot on internet after Rizwan’s controversial dismissal
Cummins, who struck with decisive wickets throughout the Test whenever Pakistan had momentum, was confident Rizwan was out from the moment he heard a sound.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.