Azhar expects son to tease him after ‘brain fade’ run out
ABU DHABI: Senior Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali anticipated some teasing from his 10-year-old son after his bizarre run out in the second Test against Australia. Azhar edged a Peter Siddle delivery towards the thirdman boundary and, thinking the ball had crossed the rope, halted in the middle of the pitch to talk to fellow batsman Asad Shafiq.
But Mitchell Starc picked up the ball less than a yard from the boundary and threw it back to wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who ran Azhar out, leaving the Pakistani duo — who boast a combined 130 Tests and over 9,000 runs — stranded and looking bewildered.
Azhar fell for a well-played 64, including four boundaries as Pakistan took control of the Test setting a massive 538-run target for Australia with two days left.
Australia were 47/1 at close and facing a 1-0 defeat in the twomatch series after the first Test ended in a draw. “My son is going to speak about it for a long time and in a funny way,” said Azhar of his 10-year-old son Ibtisam, who luckily for him arrived at the ground after his father’s wicket. “Whenever I will say something about cricket he will surely come back to this incident.”
Azhar revealed he was discussing the swing of the ball with Shafiq as they chatted in the middle of the wicket. “We were just discussing that the ball was swinging a bit late. We both didn’t actually realise something like this could happen.”