Ex-Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Calls Dasun Shanaka 'Modern-day Mandela'. Here's The Reason
The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight game in Pallekele on Saturday was an important match for both teams
- Sri Lanka needed six off the last ball to beat Pakistan in a T20 World Cup Super 8 match, but could not score
- Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka believed it was a wide ball but did not create a fuss about it
- Ex-Pakistan Board chief Ramiz Raja called Shanaka 'a modern day Mandela' for his act
The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight game in Pallekele on Saturday was an important match for both teams. Sri Lanka had the chance to leave on a high, while Pakistan's semi-final chances depended on the outcome of the match. Pakistan had to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 after scoring 212/8 in 20 overs to enter the semi-finals. They could not achieve it. Then, the Lankans needed 28 runs to win off the final over, which was being bowled by Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi. While many had ruled out a Sri Lankan victory, their captain Dasun Shanaka nearly pulled off an unbelievable win. The match went down to the wire, with the final ball deciding the winner. Shanaka started the over with a four and then smashed Shaheen for a hat-trick of sixes. Shaheen bowled a wide yorker on the fifth delivery and followed it with a similar one.
Shanaka felt the last delivery was wide on the off side, so he let it go. The Sri Lankan captain seemed right, but the umpire thought otherwise. He declared it a legal ball. The decision saw Pakistan win the game by a narrow margin of five runs. However, Shanaka did not create a ruckus.
Seeing Shanaka's gesture, former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja lauded the Sri Lanka captain.
"A huge shout out to Dasun Shanaka for not retaliating at a wide-angled last ball from Shaheen that we all upstairs in the comm box read as a wide. He had 22 at the time for a 27-run last-over target to win," Raja wrote.
"Any other batsman would have left the crease, cribbing and protesting. Shanaka took it in stride and allowed peace to prevail. A modern-day Mandela of sportsmanship!" he added.
🗣️“A modern day Mandela of sportsmanship!”
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 3, 2026
Ramiz Raja has praised Dasun Shanaka for his composure during a tense last over in Sri Lanka's final Super Eights fixture against Pakistan.#SLvPAK #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/rjQy84rudJ
Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan could not make it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Sri Lanka Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team