Saud Shakeel slams umpiring after Dolphins’ early exit from Champions Cup

FAISALABAD: Dolphins’ captain Saud Shakeel asserted some umpiring decisions and the toss factor played a major role in their premature exit from the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup.

Saud’s Dolphins was the only team left out of the playoffs as they finished last after the group-stage matches of the five-team tournament, managing just 12 points in four games.

The middle-order batter while speaking to a local news channel reflected on his team’s performance in the Champions Cup, suggesting that they struggled in all three departments.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to in any of the three aspects—batting, bowling, or fielding. But winning and losing is part of the game, and it’s important to learn from our mistakes,” Saud said.

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Saud Shakeel further claimed that toss played a significant role in their ouster from the tournament before mentioning that some of the umpiring decisions also dented their campaign.

“The toss was crucial. In all three matches, we ended up bowling first, which didn’t work in our favour. Additionally, some umpiring decisions went against us, which impacted our performance,” he explained.

The left-handed batter then went on to reveal that the Dolphins had a strict focus on physical fitness ahead of the Champions Cup and also that all of their players had passed the fitness test but suggested that the players need to work on their physical conditioning.

“Perhaps the heat affected our energy levels. As professional players, we need to improve wherever we see room for it,” he added.

“The true test of a cricketer lies in long-format cricket, but anyone with solid first-class experience can excel in any format,” Saud concluded.

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