VIDEO | Pakistan batsmen forget how to run as Sarfaraz and Iftikhar's 'race' leads to hilarious run out

10/06/2019

Since the days of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, if there's one mode of dismissal that we often associate with Pakistan, it's the runout. Yesterday, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Iftikhar Ahmed made their predecessors 'proud' by indulging in one of the most bizarre and stupendous run outs in recent times.

An electric Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore saw the number one T20 team in the world, Pakistan host Sri Lanka in the first of the three T20Is. After winning the ODIs 2-0, the Men in Green were high on confidence and entered the T20Is hoping to replicate the same form and treat their fans to yet another masterly display.

But chasing 166, the Pakistanis found themselves in a spot of bother, losing their first three wickets - including that of Babar Azam - for just 22 runs. But after the initial stutter, the duo of Sarfaraz Ahmed and Iftikhar Ahmed got them back into the game with a steady partnership and at one point it looked like it needed a moment of stupidity from the batters for Lankans to get a wicket and well, Pakistan being Pakistan, did just that.

On the third ball of the 12th over, Isuru Udana, in his quest to take a wicket, bowled a low full-toss to Iftikhar and all the batsman could manage was to dig out the delivery to the man fielding at short cover. Skipper Sarfaraz, assuming that the ball would evade the fielder, skipped off his lines and started charging towards the strikers' end. However, a diving Dasun Shanaka stopped the ball and quickly threw it back to the bowler.

The surreal effort from the Lankan skipper meant that both the batsmen were left stranded in the middle of the wicket. However, instead of one batter running towards the non-strikers' end, hilariously, both Sarfaraz and Iftikhar ran towards the keepers' end in a desperate attempt to save their wicket. Udana took the bails off in a flash in the other end but confusion brewed in the middle, not knowing which batsman was actually out.

Both Sarfaraz and Iftikhar stood their ground, reluctant to leave the field and it took a good couple of checks from the TV Umpire to finalize the fact that it was indeed Iftikhar who had to go. Sarfaraz was so determined to keep his wicket intact that he ran from one end to the other in no time and overtook his batting partner.

The incident all but proved why Pakistan were, are and will always be the most entertaining team to watch. Never change, Pakistan!