Top 3 World Cup matches which were decided by Pakistan's dropped catches

Pakistan team has always been the butt of jokes when it comes to fielding. There are hundreds of videos on social media and YouTube where compilations of dismal fielding by Pakistani players have been depicted.

It has been the case since the Pakistani team began playing cricket in 1952. Only a handful of Pakistani players are recognized as very good fielders over a long period of time. Pakistan's good show with bat and ball has always been outshined by poor fielders and terrible catchers.

And this habit of poor catching has often cost Pakistan team matches and that too in important events like the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup. It also cost Pakistan a chance at the T20 WC trophy as well. 

Here are the 3 missed catching opportunities by Pakistan that turned the game around in World Cups

3. Asif Ali drops David Warner’s catch in ICC World Cup 2019

In the 17th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Pakistani fans were left stunned when the Sarfraz Ahmed-led side performed an error-prone performance against Australia. The main culprit of the Pakistan team was Asif Ali, who dropped two catches of the two top Australian batters. 

First, he dropped the catch of Australia captain Aaron Finch off Wahab Riaz, when he was on 26 runs. Finch had edged a very good delivery from Riaz to first slip, where Asif Ali dropped an easy catch. However, the second catch he dropped was of David Warner, who made Pakistan pay dearly.

The incident happened in the 37th over, which was also bowled by Wahab Riaz. Warner, who was batting at 104, slashed at a short ball on the off-stump which flew to third man. Asif Ali who was stationed there, made a mess of it and dropped a sitter. The reaction of the Pakistan fan behind him became a very viral meme since then.

2. Hassan Ali drops Matthew Wade’s catch in T20 World Cup 2021

Pakistan and Australia clashed in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai. Thanks to the fifties from the top three of Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan posted 176/4. David Warner and Mitch Marsh gave Australia a fighting hope in the death overs.

Australia needed 22 runs in two overs and Shaheen Afridi was bowling the over. He almost got Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade out in the first three balls. Stoinis survived an LBW call, and Wade received a lifeline thanks to poor catching.

Matthew Wade pulled Shaheen to the mid-wicket area, where Hassan Ali ran to make some ground. But while trying to grasp at the catch, the ball hit his hands and fell to the ground. Celebrating this lifeline, Matthew Wade hit Shaheen for three consecutive sixes to put Australia into the final.

1. Usama Mir drops David Warner’s catch in ICC World Cup 2023

The latest gaffe by the Pakistani fielding side came in the ICC World Cup 2023 match 18 against Australia. Babar Azam had won the toss and chose to bowl first. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh opened the innings and hammered 163 and 121, respectively. They added 259 runs for the first wicket as Pakistan posted 367/9 in 50 overs. 

Shaheen Afridi could’ve gotten Warner out in the fifth over itself. Trying to pull a short ball from outside off-stump, Warner only managed a top-edge, and the ball ballooned to mid-on. Usama Mir stationed there was playing his first World Cup match and his nervous hands just couldn’t grab the ball properly. The ball hit his chest inside of the hands and Mir dropped a catch which cost Pakistan the match in the long run.