Cricket requires a great deal of practice to master several skills, including catching. A cricket player gains more self-assurance in taking difficult catches in pressure circumstances as they practice more. Funny catch drops, however, can sometimes result from misunderstandings with teammates and other uncontrollable circumstances. Even the top fielders in the game have a history of dropping easy chances. While attempting to latch on to a legal catch, some even create a comedy of errors. The 10 funniest dropped catches by Pakistan in cricket history are presented below.
1. Saeed Ajmal Vs West Indies (2008)
When it came to his mysterious deliveries, former Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal was quite the challenge. His fielding abilities, on the other hand, fell short of expectations. In the past, there have been quite a few cases that have drawn attention. Ajmal comically backed out of a catch during 2008 one-day international between Pakistan and the West Indies, and Chris Gayle was given life as a result. In the sixth over, Gayle took up a high catch only to see it be dropped between Shoaib Malik and Saeed Ajmal as the tourists required 274 runs to win from their allowed 50 overs. A comedy of errors resulted from Ajmal calling for the catch and deciding to let Malik take it at the very last moment.
2. Salman Butt Vs New Zealand (2009)
How frequently do two or more distinct and amusing occurrences from the same Test match or series make it onto a list of the funniest things ever? Salman Butt gave us a memorable miss that was amusing and entertaining but not well received by the commentators. In the second Test match against New Zealand in Wellington in 2009, Mohammad Asif forced an inside edge off opener Daniel Flynn at short leg, which was astonishingly dropped by Salman Butt after multiple retries to collect the ball. Butt made fun of the legal catch with what appeared to be a straightforward grab.
3. Umar Akmal Vs West Indies
Darren Sammy had a much-needed second chance during an ODI between Pakistan and West Indies that was played in the Caribbean thanks to Saeed Ajmal and Umar Akmal's memorable and humorous missed catch. When the batsman lifted the ball into the air, Ajmal went for a caught-and-bowled opportunity. However, as he did so, Akmal sprang out from behind the stumps and helped to facilitate a surprising drop that caused much discussion in the cricketing community. But the dropped catch made everyone in the audience cheer for the West Indies, and it made our list of the funniest drops ever.
4. Hasan Ali In T20 World Cup Semis (2021)
In the first three deliveries of the Afridi over, both Stoinis and Wade for Australia nearly fell. The third ball of the over, which Pakistan captain Babar Azam referred to as the game's turning point, saw Hasan Ali drop Wade in the deep mid-wicket boundary after Stoinis narrowly avoided an LBW appeal. Wade then chose to play the lap shot in anticipation that Afridi would try for a yorker. He flicked the complete toss while stooping to his knees. The timing was so impeccable that it passed through the ropes. If the drop catch indicated that Pakistan was losing the game, this six from Wade proved that Australia was now in the driving seat.
5. Mohammad Hasnain and Iftikhar Ahmed (2021)
Twenty20 International between Pakistan and West Indies in Karachi was encouraged to believe that Mohammad Hasnain and Iftikhar Ahmed have imitated the humorous catch-drop moment of senior Ajmal-Malik. Nevertheless, despite Pakistan having some top-tier bowlers and batsmen, they continued to demonstrate how their fielding continues to be a liability.
The West Indies batters mistimed the hit, and Hasnain and Iftikhar, who were waiting to catch the ball at long-on, were the only people to be in the right place at the right time to catch it. They both stare at each other, signaling that the catch was theirs to make, but neither of them reaches out to collect the ball as it falls to the ground. The entire incident served as a reminder to viewers of a previous incident involving incidents of a similar nature that brought Pakistan's appalling fielding to light.
6. Babar Azam Vs Sri Lanka (2022)
One of the best cricketers in the world is considered to be Babar Azam, captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Even the finest employees occasionally experience frustrating workdays. Niroshan Dickwella and Angelo Matthews' two easy catches were missed by Pakistan's captain during the second Test against Sri Lanka. Nauman Ali struck out Matthews on 42 as Dickwella is still in the game. While Matthews was positioned at extra cover, Babar mishandled his catch. However, Dickwella's catch came quickly on Babar, and he was unable to collect it cleanly. The Pakistani player had to dash towards the ball, though it was not a difficult catch. Babar became a trending topic on Twitter as soon as he dropped two crucial catches on Day 1 of Sri Lanka vs. Pakistan 2nd Test, as cricket fans expressed their displeasure.
7. Sarfraz Ahmed Champions Trophy 2017
To go to the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals, Sri Lanka must win their final Group B encounter. The wicketkeeper-batsman received trolling for an event that happened during the Sri Lankan innings, but the crowd cheered for his tough knock. Mohammad Amir caused Asela Gunaratne's bat to edge outside on the last ball of the 34th over. Sarfraz was unable to catch the ball as it flew low to his right and away from the Pakistani skipper. Sarfraz urged the on-field umpires to ask the third umpire to review the catch since they could not see it.
The camera angle behind the keeper revealed that the fielder at slips, in addition to Sarfraz, had a good understanding that the catch was grassed. On Twitter, funny comments appeared as the decision to "not out" flashed on the huge screen. Some even compared it to Rashid Latif, who once insisted on catching something he later dropped. Sarfraz, though, chose the more secure option.
8. Younis Khan Vs Kiwis (2009)
Younis Khan, the captain of Pakistan, will never forget the dropped catch that cost them the Champions Trophy semi-final match against New Zealand. Younis, who decided to participate in the competition after breaking a finger in a warm-up game, turned down a straightforward opportunity off Grant Elliott when the New Zealand batsman was on 42. In addition to leading the Kiwis in a successful run chase, Elliott went on to score an undefeated 75. Younis informed reporters that it will follow him for the rest of his life. If I hadn't missed the catch, perhaps the outcome would have been different.
9. Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hafeez (PSL 2022)
The ball struck Fakhar Zaman's hand and dropped to the ground as a result of the collision between him and Mohammad Hafeez. When Mohammad Hafeez and Fakhar Zaman collided and missed an easy opportunity, Haider Ali was granted a second chance. During the match between the Peshawar Zalmi and the Lahore Qalandars, Haider Ali attempted a powerful hit, but the ball caught the leading edge of his willow. Mohammad Hafeez and Fakhar Zaman both arrived to grab the gift as the ball flew high in the air. But when the two guys slammed into each other, the ball smacked through Fakhar Zaman's hand and landed on the ground. Both athletes believed it was their catch to take, according to Mohammad Hafeez. He said that I replied, "Yes, mine," but I responded, "No, it's mine," claimed Mohammad Hafeez.
10. Kamran Akmal vs Australia (2010)
According to an old proverb, "Success has many fathers, whereas failure is an orphan." That adage has never been more true than in the case of Kamran Akmal, the Pakistan wicket-keeper who has become the orphan of Pakistan cricket in the wake of the devastating defeat to Australia in the SCG test. Unfairly maybe, the loss has been mostly attributed to the small gloves-man. Both his botched run-out opportunity and the four dropped catches didn't assist his team's cause. Even though he was going through a difficult period at the time, it seems a bit harsh to demand his resignation after just one mediocre performance.
