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All-rounder Shadab Khanbanged his head on the ground while trying to run out opener Quinton de Kock in the first over of South Africa’s run-chase of 271.After getting some on-field medical attention, he walked off the park as a precaution for aconcussion injury and was later replaced by Usama Mir.
Pakistan missed Shadab’s experience as a spin-bowling option, although concussion substitute Mir did bowl appreciably to bag two wickets for 45 runs.
In a close finish, which saw South Africa slipping to 260/9 after being 206/4, the Proteas held their nerve to beat Pakistan by one wicket.
“Whatever hopes we had, I think, ended here (with defeat against South Africa),” said former pacer Umar Gul on a Pakistan news channel.
Gul went on to make a serious accusation that Shadab faked his injury and then reappeared in the dugout after Pakistan made a comeback in the match.
“We don’t know what kind of injury he (Shadab) had. But sawaal uthte hain jab aap girte ho, concussion ka bahana banate ho, bahar chale jaate ho, physio aap ko check karta hai, thodi der ke baad aap sidelines pe logon se baatein karte ho, fir chale jaate ho (questions are raised when you fall, make excuse of a concussion, walk out, physio checks you, and after a while you talk to people on the sidelines, then go inside again),” said Gul.
“And when you see we (Pakistan) are getting back into the match, then you sit in the dugout, cheer for the team. That means you made an excuse deliberately, so people will question,” he added.
“I don’t think he had a serious injury.”
Pakistan may theoretically still have an outside chance of making it to the semifinals, but afer four consecutive defeats in six matches, their chances of getting through to the knockout stage of the tournament are very poor.
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