Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has potentially bottled a run-out opportunity during Pakistan’s first innings in Perth, failing to whip off the bails when Abdullah Shafique’s back foot was in the air.
In the 35th over, Shafique fended a delivery from spinner Nathan Lyon towards Marnus Labuschagne at silly mid-off, who threw the ball towards Carey with the gloves.
The South Australian motioned as though he was going to dislodge the bails, but only brushed the stumps with his glove. His teammates, including Labuschagne and Steve Smith at first slip, briefly threw their arms up in celebration before realising the potential run-out had not been completed.
Replays showed that Shafique’s back foot had indeed lifted in the air when Carey touched the pegs.
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“He touched the stump but the bails didn’t move. The bails didn’t come out of the groove and there was a moment where Shafique had his foot in the air,” former England bowler Isa Guha said on Fox Cricket commentary.
“He needed to get a bit more force behind it did Alex Carey.”
Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist added: “It was a swift bit of work from Marnus.”
Earlier this year, Carey became the centre of a global cricket controversy after stumping Jonny Bairstow during the Lord’s Ashes Test.
Thankfully for the 32-year-old, Shafique was dismissed during Lyon’s following over, caught at leg slip by Australian centurion David Warner for 42.
