ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board has lodged a formal complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the controversial dismissal of their top-order batter Fakhar Zaman during the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 clash against India on Sunday, according to ESPN.
The incident unfolded when Pakistan’s left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman edged an off-cutter from Hardik Pandya as the delivery, lacking pace, dipped low while approaching Indian wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who had to lunge forward to complete the catch
Given how close the ball was to the ground, the on-field umpire opted to refer the decision to the third umpire for a closer look.
After reviewing multiple angles, third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge ruled Fakhar out. The batter stood at the crease momentarily, clearly puzzled by the decision, before eventually walking off.
Back at the Pakistan dressing room, Fakhar was seen in conversation with Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson, seemingly expressing disbelief over the call.
Several media reports say Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema protested Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal by approaching match referee Andy Pycroft.
When told the decision was beyond the referee’s authority, he escalated the matter to the ICC umpires’ manager, seeking further clarification.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha also expressed his reservations about the decision.
“I don’t know about the decision. As far as I am concerned, it looked like the ball bounced before being collected. Obviously, it’s the umpire’s job and they can make mistakes," Agha said in a post-match conference, "I have no problem with that. But to me, it did look like it bounced."
"I might be wrong, I don’t know. The way Fakhar was batting, if he had continued through the power play, we could probably have scored around 190,” he added.
The decision did not sit well with fans and former Pakistan cricketers, including Mohammad Amir and Fawad Alam, who slammed the umpiring standards.
“Seems like we are playing against 14, not 11. Fakhar was clearly not out!” Pakistan's former left-hand batter Fawad Alam wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Pakistan's former left-arm Fast medium Mohammad Amir wrote on X, “Fakhar was not out, that's the tweet.”
