PAK vs ENG: Saud Shakeel’s dismissal sparks debate on social media

The middle-order batter Saud Shakeel was given out during a vital stage of the second Test match against England, sparking yet another controversy on social media.

The left-hander nicked Mark Wood’s delivery on the leg-side, which was saved by wicket-keeper Ollie Pope with a fully extended dive. He was just six runs away from a magnificent century.

Field umpires also awarded Saud Shakeel the benefit of the doubt since it was evident from the action replay that the ball impacted the ground. But the TV Umpire was asked to look into the situation.

The third empire gave him out despite the review indicating that the ball struck the ground first, shocking spectators and the Pakistan team.

Speaking to the media after the match, Babar revealed that everyone, including him, in the dressing room felt the ball had touched the ground.

“The Shakeel dismissal cost us,” he said. “It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire’s decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan also questioned the third umpire’s decision on his Twitter account, saying “Thought I saw a little bit of the ball hitting the ground with that last dismissal. What another great Test match.”

ESPNcricinfo also questioned the decision and asked on its official Twitter account, “Was that a clean catch by Pope?”

A number of fans believe that it was a “clear not out” and the issue has sparked plenty of debate on social media.