Watch: Babar loses temper, Shaheen refuses to shake hands with Afghanistan players after clinching last over thriller

The thrilling second One Day International (ODI) of the three-match series between Afghanistan and Pakistan kept fans on the edge of their seats as it unfolded in Hambantota on Thursday.

Naseem’s remarkable last-ball heroics brought back memories of the previous year’s Asia Cup. With a powerful four on the second-to-last ball, he propelled his team to a nail-biting one-wicket victory.

Yet, amidst the intense competition, emotions ran high among the players. Following the match, during the post-match handshakes, a notable incident occurred when Pakistan’s left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi, refrained from extending his hand to the Afghan players.

Let’s relive this again pic.twitter.com/SBRu1oM0si

— f (@fas___m) August 24, 2023

Observing this, skipper Babar Azam showed his leadership qualities by warmly calling Shaheen back and encouraging him to join the handshake, underlining his commitment to encouraged even after a highly contested match. However, the tension didn’t dissipate with the handshake incident alone.

Another moment unfolded when Naseem Shah, the star pacer for Pakistan, approached Babar, seemingly in a state of outrage. Naseem’s aired in Babar’s direction, though the exact nature of the complaint remained shrouded in mystery. In a surprising turn of events, Babar himself then approached Afghanistan’s key all-rounder, Mohammad Nabi, initiating a confrontation.

Even they made babar looks angry. #BabarAzam #BabarAzam #PAKvAFG #NaseemShah pic.twitter.com/697t3HhNXd

— Anas tweets 2.0 (@anas_ali2000) August 24, 2023

The specifics of Naseem’s complaint and the subsequent exchange between Babar and Nabi remained undisclosed, but speculation arose that certain contentious decisions, including the debatable run-out of Shadab Khan towards the match’s conclusion, might have triggered Naseem’s discontent.

In sharp contrast to the series opener, the second ODI between Pakistan and Afghanistan showcased an entirely different dynamic. Afghanistan’s right-handed batter, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, took center stage with a stellar innings of 151 runs, emerging as the standout performer.

The series is set to culminate with the final ODI scheduled for Saturday in Colombo. Beyond that, both teams are gearing up for the upcoming Asia Cup, slated to commence on August 30. As the cricketing action continues, fans can only await more moments of excitement, rivalry, and unity on the field.

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