Sajid Khan, Pakistan’s offspinner, added a unique twist to his batting exploits during the third Test against England in Rawalpindi. Known for his on-field antics like moustache twirling and thigh-thumping celebrations, Sajid used a different tactic on Friday: leveraging the Urdu fluency of England's spinners Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir to his advantage.
During the 86th over, Sajid and Saud Shakeel had a loud discussion in Urdu, seemingly strategizing for a single. However, this was a ploy to deceive the bowlers. "We spoke loudly so they would think we were going for singles," Sajid explained. "As expected, they brought the field up and flighted the ball. Saud told me, if they do, go for big shots."
The plan worked perfectly. Sajid launched a six over midwicket and added two more sixes and a boundary in the following over from Bashir, piling on 19 runs. His aggressive batting dismantled England’s bowling attack, extending Pakistan’s lead significantly.
Rehan Ahmed, while acknowledging Sajid’s impactful innings, dismissed claims of being outwitted. "He didn’t fool me," Rehan said with a laugh. "I think he batted well and hit some big blows, but the talk about deceiving us is just for the media."
Sajid’s unbeaten 48, punctuated by four sixes, proved crucial in giving Pakistan the upper hand on Day 2.
Updated on 25th October, 2024 by MyFortune11