Star Pakistan quick Shaheen Afridi looked on in horror after his captain Sohail Akhtar dropped the simplest of chances in the opening stages of the Pakistan Super League clash between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings.
Shaheen’s first over was an eventful one. Two of his first three deliveries, both to Sharjeel Khan, were sent to the boundary, with the fourth beating the batsman comprehensively only narrowly passing the stumps and Sharjeel’s inside edge.
The over’s penultimate delivery should have seen Shaheen claim an early breakthrough. Sharjeel, totally mistiming his shot, spooned what ought to have been a simple chance to Lahore skipper Sohail Akhtar at mid-on, however Sohail inexplicably split the chance, letting Sharjeel off the hook. Shaheen could only watch on in dismay as Sohail appeared to suggest that he lost the ball in the floodlights. The drop was described on commentary by Simon Doull, as “an absolute gobbler”.
Shaheen and his Lahore teammates quickly put that drop to the back of their minds as they ran through the Karachi top order, dismissing Babar Azam, Joe Clarke and Colin Ingram in the first five overs of the innings. They were, however, left to rue the drop with Sharjeel going on to score a 39-ball 64.
You can watch that drop, as well as the other highlights from that eventful first over, here:
At some point, every club bowler has felt like Shaheen does here 😬pic.twitter.com/RDRZWxhP6f
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 28, 2021
