During the second ODI between Pakistan and Australia in Adelaide, commentator Wasim Akram made a slip-up on air, mistakenly saying that Pakistan fast bowler Ihsanullah played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) instead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and chose to bowl at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, November 8. Australia started strong, but Shaheen Afridi gave Pakistan an early boost by dismissing opener Jake Fraser-McGurk in the third over.
In the ongoing match, fast bowler Haris Rauf tore through Australia’s middle order, taking five wickets for just 29 runs in his first eight overs. With additional support from Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain, Australia was left at 146 runs with nine wickets down.
On commentary, Wasim Akram praised Ihsanullah’s skills but mistakenly said he performed well a couple of years ago in the IPL. This caused confusion, as Ihsanullah, a Pakistani player, is ineligible for the IPL.
“We’ve another bowler Ihsanullah. I think a couple of years ago he did really well in the IPL and impressed every one of us,” Akram said on commentary, as shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter).
Ihsanullah, who has been out due to an elbow injury since April 2023, recently shared his frustration over the lack of support he received. In an interview he expressed his ambition to be a feared bowler, noting that during PSL 8, batsmen were wary of facing him.
“In PSL 8, you had found a bowler who the batsmen would be afraid to play; the whole world was talking about it. That someone was me,” said the 22-year-old.
Ihsanullah’s elbow injury, which was reportedly mishandled by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s medical team, wasn’t properly treated, and he didn’t receive proper rehabilitation. While Ihsanullah admitted he didn’t follow all medical advice, the injury’s mismanagement played a part in the resignation of former PCB Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sohail Saleem.
