Watch: England wicketkeeper Ollie Pope caught Saud Shakeel, the top-scorer in Pakistan’s second innings, in controversial fashion.

Chasing 355 against England in the second Test match, at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Pakistan were 198-4 at stumps on the third day. They lost Faheem Ashraf (10) early on the fourth morning before Shakeel (94) and Mohammad Nawaz (45) added 80 in quick time.

Then Mark Wood struck with a short-of-length ball that brushed Nawaz’s glove en route to Pope. Agha Salman played out the over, while Shakeel took a run off James Anderson at the other end to come to strike against Wood. At this point, Pakistan were 290-6, and needed another 65 to level the series.

Yet again, Wood bowled short of a length. Shakeel went for the pull, but was slightly cramped for space. The ball took his glove and went to the right of Pope, who flung himself on the ground and claimed the catch. The umpires, Aleem Dar and Marais Erasmus, conferred before referring the decision to Joel Wilson, the television umpire: had Pope collected the ball cleanly, or had it bounced?

After watching several angles (some of which were inconclusive), Wilson confirmed on air: “Looks like the gloves are under it, but I can’t tell exactly.” He ruled Shakeel out, caught-behind, six short of a maiden Test hundred.

These are still early days – he debuted in this series – but Shakeel’s Test scores read 37, 76, 63, 94. He has top-scored in the fourth innings in both his Test matches. In the first innings here,

England won the Test match by 26 runs to take an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the Test series. Wood finished with 4-65, Robinson 2-23, and Anderson 2-44.

Watch Ollie Pope’s controversial catch of Saud Shakeel:

The ball that ended Saud Shakeel's fantastic innings. #PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/kssvis9RdH

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 12, 2022