Pakistan batter Tayyab Tahir has strongly denied the lights at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore being responsible for New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra copping a blow to his forehead during the tri-series opener on Saturday. The 31-year-old opined that the height of the ball was not so much that it could strike a player on its face.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) faced severe backlash for not arranging proper floodlights at the venue despite the stadium being newly-renovated ahead of the Champions Trophy. With Ravindra trying to catch the ball at deep square leg, it went straight through his hands and hit him flush on the forehead, leaving him bloodied. As a result, the left-handed batter missed the fixture against South Africa but is expected to play in the final.
Below is the footage shared by Times of Karachi during the presser on Tuesday:
Speaking ahead of Pakistan's match against South Africa, a reporter asked Tahir about the incident and he said:
"Mere khayaal mein light ka koi issue nahin tha. Aapne pucha jo Ravindra ko ball lagi, woh light ki vajah se nahin thi. Woh ball ka height hee kam tha. Toh woh light ka koi issue nahin tha udhar."
(I don't think light was an issue. You asked about Ravindra's incident, that was not because of light. The ball's height wasn't that much, so I don't feel light was the problem in that instant).
"We understand that our performance in the last match was below expectations" - Naseem Shah
Meanwhile, during a presser on Monday, fast bowler Naseem Shah remains optimistic of Pakistan coming back well in the crucial clash against South Africa on Wednesday. Naseem said he has complete faith in their bowling unit and said, as quoted by CricketPakistan.pk:
"As a fast bowler, you cannot afford to think negatively after just one match. In our last two series in Australia and South Africa, our fast bowlers delivered exceptional performances, so I have no doubt that we will regroup and come back stronger. We understand that our performance in the last match was below expectations, but cricket is all about learning and adapting. I have full faith in our bowling attack, and we are determined to rectify our mistakes and give our best in the coming games."
