Azan Awais Shells Simple Catch in Pakistan's Warm-Up Clash
The young batter's slip-up handed Caleb Falconer a reprieve during the tour match against Professional County Club Select XI.
Pakistan's preparations for the upcoming Test series against England hit an awkward note when Azan Awais put down a straightforward chance in the slip cordon. The incident occurred on the opening day of the warm-up fixture at Beckenham, where the tourists were fielding first against a strong county select side.
Ubaid Shah, the young paceman, had induced an outside edge from Caleb Falconer with a delivery that straightened off the pitch. The ball flew at a comfortable height to first slip, where Awais seemed to have his hands in the right position. However, the ball popped out after grazing his fingers, leaving the bowler in disbelief and Falconer grateful for the early let-off.
The dropped chance proved costly as Falconer went on to reach an unbeaten 57 by stumps. Pakistan did manage to remove Saif Zaib, who fell for a well-made 65 to Khurram Shehzad, but the miss highlighted a recurring issue for the team. Known for occasional lapses in the field, Pakistan's history includes several notorious dropped catches at crucial moments, and this latest effort will do little to ease concerns ahead of the red-ball battle with England.