"Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu" - Sajid Khan claims he and Saud Shakeel 'fooled' English spinners on Day 2 of PAK vs ENG 2024 3rd Test
Pakistan off-spinner Sajid Khan claimed that he and Saud Shakeel 'fooled' England spinners Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed through use of Urdu on Day 2 of the third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday, October 25. Sajid said that they loudly discussed their plans in Urdu to misguide the bowlers.
Pakistan scored 344 in their first innings, responding to England's 267. While Shakeel top-scored for the hosts with 134, No. 10 batter Sajid contributed an unbeaten 48 at a run-a-ball. The duo added 72 for the ninth wicket to ensure a decent lead for the hosts.
In the 86th over, Shakeel and Sajid met to discuss about managing the strike. The conversation, which was quite loud, was presumably about Sajid seeing off the remaining balls of the over being bowled by Bashir. The tailender, though, ended up launching the spinner over midwicket for a six.
Speaking about his aggressive knock, Sajid claimed that a deliberate attempt was made to 'fool' Pakistani-origin spinners Rehan and Bashir by discussing batting 'plans' in Urdu. The 31-year-old said (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):
"We were only doing that (speaking loudly in Urdu) to deceive the bowlers. Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single. When we did that, they brought the field up and the bowlers flighted it. Saud told me once they do, no half measures: just go for the big shot as hard as you can."
In the next over bowled by Bashir, Sajid slammed two sixes and a four, swinging his bat with great effect, as 19 runs came off it. The ninth-wicket stand ended when Shakeel was caught at short mid-wicket off Gus Atkinson.
"He didn't fool me at all" - Rehan Ahmed rubbishes Sajid Khan's claims
While Pakistan cricketer Sajid boasted about fooling the England spinners through their use of Urdu, Rehan dismissed all such claims and commented that the player made up a story for the media.
"He didn't fool me at all; he just said it for the media. I didn't even hear him. He said something like he's going to run down this ball, and I knew he was going to try and scoop me, and it didn't really work. I think he batted well, and he hit some big blows, but he didn't really fool me or Bash," Rehan commented.
Meanwhile, England are in massive trouble in the third Test against Pakistan. They crumbled to 24-3 by stumps on Day 2, trailing the hosts by 53 runs.