Webdesk: Hassan Ali stood up for his best friend, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan, after he got a lot of bad press after dropping Mark Chapman’s catch at a crucial time in the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Rawalpindi.
In the last T20I of the five-day series between Pakistan and New Zealand, Shadab missed Chapman’s catch when the batter was on the ground with 67 runs.
The lost catch made it possible for Chapman to get his first T20I century, which was also a big deal because it helped the Kiwis tie the series at 2-2.
Pakistan missed out on another chance to win a series at home because Shadab dropped a catch.
Hassan defended Shadab on Twitter when he heard bad things about him. “Prince of Pakistan,” it said.
During the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021, Hassan was in a similar position. During the semi-final against Australia, Hassan dropped a catch by Matthew Wade at a time when it could have changed the outcome. Wade got Pakistan out of the big event by hitting three sixes in a row. Hassan got a lot of bad press after the dropped catch.
Chapman, who used to play for Hong Kong but now plays for New Zealand, stood out as a star player in the fifth T20I. He helped his team chase down 194 runs from a tough spot.
Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim had taken early wickets, leaving New Zealand with a score of 26-3. But Chapman and Jimmy Neesham changed things around and helped New Zealand win the series.
Now, Pakistan will play New Zealand in a five-game ODI series starting on April 27 in Rawalpindi and Karachi.
