I did nothing wrong, insists Taj Wali

Peshawar pacer ran out Irfan as he was trying to pinch a few yards to win the game for Peshawar

KARACHI: Peshawar bowler Taj Wali’s controversial running out of Wapda’s Muhammad Irfan to win their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tie by just four runs on the final day has left many shaking their heads in disapproval but Wali the pacer insists he was well within his rights to Mankad the runner.

Irfan was trying to pinch a few inches and sneaked out of his crease while Wali was running up to bowl. Upon noticing this, Wali whipped the bails off to give his side a win by the narrowest of margins.

“I came on to bowl when we needed two wickets and they needed 15 runs,” said Wali, while speaking to The Express Tribune. “I noticed Irfan was leaving his crease earlier than he should be when my bowling partner, Muhammad Imran Senior, was bowling.”

Wali admitted that they had been trying to run out Irfan from that time on. “He did this for three balls so I went up to Imran and told him to run him out if he does so again. However, that chance never came,” he said. “Irfan is exceptionally tall so I knew he would leave the crease earlier. At that point I decided to run him out.”

The pacer refused to feel any guilt for his actions. “I did everything according to the rules of cricket,” he said. “I don't know why they are making an issue out of it. We played smartly and won the match, this is what happens when you give a chance to the opposite team. They were so close to winning and it doesn’t sit well with them that a department lost to region.”