‘Cheating karta hai tu’ – Imam-ul-Haq’s catch sparks online debate among cricket fans over its legitimacy during ODI World Cup clash against Sri Lanka

In the 8th match of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, Pakistan star batter Imam-ul-Haq took a remarkable catch at the boundary rope to dismiss the dangerous-looking Kusal Mendis, who had smashed a scintillating 122 runs off just 77 balls in the first innings. 

The catch was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the match, but it wasn’t the brilliance of the catch that caused controversy, it was the positioning of the boundary rope. Imam may have taken a brilliant catch but, upon closer examination, fans noticed that the boundary rope was situated behind the line where it was supposed to be. Imam landed right on the line but didn’t touch the rope, as it had been pushed back slightly before the catch was taken which is said by the fans on social media.

This raised eyebrows and led to accusations of foul play. Many cricket enthusiasts started claiming that Pakistan had engaged in cheating by manipulating the boundary line to their advantage. However, these are just assumptions as during Pakistan’s first match which was against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, the boundary rope was slightly behind the line. 

Brilliant knock by Kusal Mendis

Many fans have said that to make the boundary length bigger, the officials decided to make some changes to the rope. Talking about Mendis, Sri Lanka’s star wicketkeeper-batter smashed his century on just 65 balls and ended up scoring 122 runs which included 14 fours and 6 sixes. Hasan Ali dismissed him in the 29th over after getting hit for two consecutive sixes.

In the end, the catch by Imam-ul-Haq showcased incredible athleticism and skill. While the boundary line debate added a layer of controversy to the match, it also underscored the need for strict adherence to the rules of the game and highlighted the passionate scrutiny of cricket fans worldwide.

Here’s how fans reacted: