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Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul has issued an official clarification on his alleged altercation with the team’s fast bowler Shaheen Afridi during the Test match against Bangladesh in Sylhet.
Bangladesh is hosting Pakistan for a two-match Test series, which is part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship. Bangladesh won the first match in Mirpur by 104 runs, while the second Test started on 16 May.
Umar Gul and Shaheen Afridi incident
This dispute occurred during the second day of the match. Gul and Afridi, who was benched for the second Test after playing the first Test, were seen having a heated conversation near the boundary ropes.
The left-arm pacer said something to Umar Gul during the conversation, and when the bowling coach replied, Shaheen ignored him before moving on from him. Some said that Shaheen Afridi had insulted the team coach, while others claimed that the discussion was around fast bowler Hasan Ali’s head injury.
Hasan was injured on the first day of the match when he fell on his head while trying to take a return catch.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Shaheen Afridi has heated clash with Umar Gul after Bangladesh vs Pakistan XI defeat
Umar Gul clarified on the incident
During the press conference after the third day, Gul clarified that the discussion between him and Shaheen was actually about Hasan Ali’s injury and the possibility of bringing in a concussion substitute.
Ultimately, Hasan was declared fit to continue and he took two wickets each in both innings.
“When I woke up yesterday morning, someone had tagged me on X and written, ‘Shaheen is not listening to the coach. He is trying to send Shaheen in, but he is not listening.’ Actually this incident happened when Hasan Ali fell and hit his head. Shaheen was sitting outside at that time.”
“Shaheen has a habit of putting tape on his elbows for protection before bowling. So there, I was discussing with him about the concussion option. I believe you are given half an hour to decide. The match referee gives you 30 minutes to inform who will be the substitute. So I told Shaheen, ‘Just tape your elbows if we need to bowl. God forbid something happens to Hasan. If it gets serious, you are our only option. “
“Till then, Sarfaraz [Ahmed, Pakistan Head Coach] He had also come down and Shaheen told him that Hasan had suffered a head injury. It seemed like Shaheen Shah Afridi was pointing to his brain, perhaps to comment on someone else’s intelligence, but there was nothing like that.”
Gul said, “So, I thought we should clarify this issue. A lot is being said on social media since yesterday. Even our friends in the media have been messaging me again and again, but there is nothing like that. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s reaction was completely due to Hasan Ali’s injury. We did not know that the cameras had captured us.”
Umar Gul refutes rumors of clash with Shaheen Afridi over Hasan Ali’s injurypic.twitter.com/YpprJyHilr
– Pakistan Cricket Team USA FC (@DoctorofCricket) 18 May 2026
Bangladesh gave Pakistan a target of 437 runs
Although Shaheen Afridi is not in the best form, but his absence is being felt by the team.
Liton Das scored a brilliant century in the first innings and followed it up with a half-century in the second innings. Nahid Rana and Taijul Islam gave Bangladesh a good lead by taking three wickets each in the first innings.
Mushfiqur Rahim scored a record century in the second innings and Bangladesh set a target of 437 runs for Pakistan in the fourth innings. If Pakistan achieves this, it will be the highest chase chase in the history of Test cricket.
The only bright spot for Pakistan in this Test was Khurram Shehzad in place of Shaheen Afridi. Shahzad took 4-4 wickets in both the innings.
If Bangladesh wins this second Test, they will sweep Pakistan 2-0 and move up to fifth place in the WTC points table.