WATCH: Imam-ul-Haq walks off furiously after miscommunication with best friend Babar Azam results in runout

Some terrible calling and miscommunication ended another sublime ODI partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam, with the former walking back angrily after being run-out during the second ODI against West Indies on Friday.
 By CX Staff Writer Jun 10, 2022, 20:27 IST
Image courtesy: PCB Twitter?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4
Both Imam and Babar registered their respective sixth straight 50-plus scores in ODIs.

After having won the first of three ODIs against the touring West Indies in Multan on Wednesday, Pakistan made a solid start in the second game, despite Fakhar Zaman falling early for the second straight time.

Skipper Babar Azam, who’d registered his third ODI hundred on the trot in the five-wicket win in the series opener, joined Imam-ul-Haq after Zaman fell to Anderson Philip for 17. The pair progressed steadily, crossing their fifth century stand in seven outings, the other two being worth 96 and 92, thereby extending their enviable brilliance.

On individual front, both joined a select list of players to register six or more consecutive 50-plus scores in ODIs, with only Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan great ahead of them with nine. Pakistan were strongly positioned at 145/1 in the 28th over, before a terrible miscommunication between the “best friends”, as Imam had stated in an interview previously, resulted in his dismissal.

The opener, facing left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, dabbed a fuller one firmly towards mid-wicket in search of a single. Imam assumed that the ball would evade Nicholas Pooran, stationed at the position, and set off for a run. However, the West Indies captain dived full stretch to make the stop, and threw the ball to keeper Shai Hope who dislodged the bails with Imam three quarters down.

Babar stood still and didn’t set off at all from the non-striker's' end, having watched the ball through. Imam, who’d struck six boundaries during his run-a-ball 72, walked off furiously, uttering expletives as he headed back to the dressing room.

Watch the dismissal here:


Much to Pakistan’s disappointment, Babar couldn’t carry long this time, falling to Akeal Hosein eight overs later for 77 off 93. Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Harris fell soon after, as hosts slumped from 187/2 to 194/5 in the 38th over. 

Pakistan were 207/5 from 39 overs at the time of writing, with Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan at the crease.


 

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