WATCH: Frustrated Wiaan Mulder throws the ball at Babar Azam in heated exchange on Day 3 of 2nd Test – SA vs PAK
In a dramatic twist during the third day of the second Test match between South Africa and Pakistan at Newlands, emotions ran high leading to an intense clash between the South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam.
Wiaan Mulder aggressively throws the ball towards Babar Azam
The tension escalated in the 32nd of Pakistan’s second innings after being forced to continue. Babar, known for his calm and composed demeanor, was at the center of the controversy when Mulder, in an act of frustration, threw the ball back at him after Babar played a hard shot back to the bowler. The throw, which was neither accurate nor necessary, hit Babar in the leg, which immediately angered the Pakistani batsman.
Babar, visibly upset, engaged in a verbal altercation with Mulder, pointing to the stumps to emphasize where the ball should have been aimed. This led to a heated argument in which both players exchanged words, making the atmosphere on the pitch electric as teammates from both sides and referees rushed to defuse the situation.
Here is the video:
The moment of the fight between Babar Azam and Wian Mulder. 🥵
Wiaan Mulder unnecessarily throws the ball at Babar Azam and shows him verbal aggression. #BabarAzam𓃵 #PAKvsSA #SAvPAK pic.twitter.com/PZnPNTWELZ
— Ahtasham Riaz (@ahtashamriaz22) January 5, 2025
Also WATCH: South African commentator mocks Pakistan players’ ability to speak English on second day of Test in Cape Town
Pakistan comes up with a strong response below
The backdrop to this incident was a match in which South Africa dominated, scoring a staggering 615 in their first innings, thanks to centuries from Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavumaand Kyle Verreynne. Pakistan were bowled out for just 194 in reply, setting the stage for the follow-on. The second innings started promisingly for Pakistan with Babar and the captain Shan Masood setting a record of 205 runs in the opener, the highest ever by Pakistan against South Africa in Test cricket.
However, the Mulder incident seemed to momentarily disrupt the flow for Pakistan. Despite this, Babar scored 81 before being dismissed by Marco Jansen. The day ended with Pakistan on 213/1, trailing by 208 runs, with Masood unbeaten on 102, setting the stage for a challenging Day 4 where Pakistan need to bat long to avoid an innings defeat.
Also READ: Fans explode as powerful partnership of Babar Azam and Shan Masood keeps Pakistan alive after South Africa chase them down in Cape Town Test
