For those interested, Pakistan (in light green shirt, dark green sleeves and trousers) batting, South Africa (light green shirt, dark green sleeves and trousers) fielding[/caption]
The cricket world is asking how the hell did this “wardrobe malfunction” happen after an oversight that resulted in shambolic scenes, said news.com.au with regard to the similar official ODI kits of both South Africa and Pakistan seen this week.
How did this happen - again?
“The cricket world has been giggling away at the scenes of Pakistan and South Africa players wearing almost identical kits during the first one-day international in Centurion Saturday morning,” wrote Tyson Otto on the news website.
The two teams lined up with the same dark green pants and lighter-shaded green shirts in an oversight that neither team appeared to care about.
Pakistan even proudly showed off its newly-launched, re-designed kit last month, announcing the team’s new T20 and ODI kits for the tour of South Africa.
Pakistan pulled off a thrilling, last-ball victory in the series-opener, but it was overshadowed by the hilarious jersey clash. Hosts South Africa squared the series in the second match 1-1 in a three-match series.
Cricket fans have repeatedly been subjected to clashing strips with Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa, and even Australia all sporting dark green kits in recent years - but the clash in South Africa is taking the mickey.
It left fans calling for teams to be forced to wear “away team” uniforms if there is a clash.
It made for some hilarious photos.
The on-field action in the first ODI certainly did its best to draw attention away from the kit clash with a Babar Azam century setting up a three-wicket win for Pakistan at the death.
The Pakistan Captain hit 103 off 104 balls and shared a second-wicket partnership of 177 with Imam-ul-Haq, who made 70.
But Babar’s dismissal started a collapse in which fast bowler Anrich Nortje took four wickets in four overs.
From 186 for one, with more than 18 overs in hand to reach a target of 274, Pakistan slumped to 203 for five before Mohammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan steadied the innings again in a sixth-wicket stand of 53.
But both were dismissed before Faheem Ashraf hit the winning run off Andile Phehlukwayo off the last ball.
“There was a little bit of pressure but we will learn from that,” Babar said through an interpreter at the after-match presentation.
Babar, who was named man of the match, praised his bowlers, who came within three runs of achieving his objective of restricting South Africa to a total of around 270 after he won the toss and sent them in.
“I told them to bowl hard lengths and there was some swing as well,” he said. “They took wickets in the power play and that helped us.”
Rassie van der Dussen had to perform a rescue act for South Africa after the hosts struggled to 55 for four inside 15 overs.
He hit 123 not out, his maiden international century, to enable South Africa to score 273 for six.
The win gave Pakistan an important advantage in the three-match series, with South Africa were set to lose five key players to the Indian Premier League after Sunday’s second match in Johannesburg.
=========
Pakistan denied “fake fielding” penalty in tense finish
[caption id="attachment_128932" align="alignleft" width="373"]
The role of Quinton de Kock in the dismissal of Fakhar Zaman stirs debate after the second ODI between South Africa and Pakistan[/caption]
Pakistan were on the wrong side of a rare and contentious “fake fielding” ruling during their tense 17-run loss to South Africa in Johannesburg.
Fakhar Zaman’s scintillating 193 proved not quite enough for Pakistan, who lost the second ODI at The Wanderers as the hosts levelled the three-game series.
But the final victory margin could have been much smaller had Pakistan been awarded five penalty runs in the final over of the run chase.
With Pakistan needing 31 runs to win from the last six balls, Fakhar was run out after South African wicketkeeper, Quinton de Kock, appeared to signal that a throw from the deep was heading to the bowler’s end, reported cricket.com.au on Monday (5).
Fakhar then slowed down in the belief that the ball wasn’t coming to his end, only for Aiden Markram’s superb throw to hit the stumps at the keeper's end, catching Fakhar short of his ground.
Law 41.5.1 states that “it is unfair for any fielder wilfully to attempt, by word or action, to distract, deceive or obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball”, meaning Pakistan would have been awarded five penalty runs had the umpires deemed de Kock’s actions to be deliberate deception.
Fakhar, however, did not blame the Proteas gloveman.
“The fault was mine as I was too busy looking out for (non-striker) Haris Rauf at the other end as I felt he'd started off a little late from his crease, so I thought he was in trouble,” he said.
“The rest is up to the match referee, but I don’t think it’s Quinton’s fault.”
South African skipper Temba Bavuma denied that de Kock’s actions were against the rules
“It was quite clever from Quinny,” he said.
“Maybe some people might criticise it for maybe not being in the spirit of the game. But it was an important wicket for us. Zaman was getting close to our target. Yeah, it was clever from Quinny.”