Former South Africa skipper Shaun Pollock mistakenly called Shan Masood as "captain of India", while commentating during the 1st Test between Pakistan and the Proteas in Lahore on Sunday. The incident happened on Day 1 when Pollock was criticising a section of the crowd at the stadium for manifesting their own captain Shan's dismissal. The reason: Babar Azam, Pakistan's star batter and local boy, was next at the crease. The stadium erupted in applause and cheering as the former skipper walked in to bat late in the second session.
Fans at the Gaddafi Stadium were heard cheering whenever there was an appeal against Shan. In the 40th over, Pollock reacted to one such incident, expressing amazement and suggested that someone needs to remind the crowd you don't do this with your captain. However, he ended up calling Shan as "captain of India".
"I can't believe they would want Shan Masood, the captain of India, to be out just to get Babar to the crease. Think we need to have a word with these supporters," Pollock was heard as saying in a viral video.
Shan who made 76 runs in a 161-run second wicket stand with Imam ul Haq (93) was given out leg before to Prenelan Subrayan in the second session but he decided to take the DRS review.
Surprisingly, majority of the crowd who was present at the ground cheered when the big screen showed the umpire's decision to be right and Shan trudged back to the pavillion.
A sizeable number of people were at the stadium since the Pakistan Cricket Board had kept free entry to three to four enclosures in a bid to attrack more spectators.
They appeared to be successful in a way because despite free entry most of the enclosures remained empty.
(With PTI Inputs)