Blackcaps fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has expressed his concern for rival Imam-ul-Haq, after felling the Pakistani opener with a bouncer in this morning's second one-day international (ODI) at Abu Dhabi.
Chasing New Zealand's paltry 209 runs for victory, the home team were off to a bright start, with the openers compiling 54 off 12 overs, before Ferguson struck.
He dropped a short delivery that caught Ul-Haq in the head, knocking him to the deck instantly. The Pakistani walked shakily off the park and was later stretchered to hospital.
"Obviously, you don't want to see players get hurt," Ferguson told a media conference afterwards. "I was changing my line and testing him out on a short ball.
"I wish him all the best, and hopefully he's OK and we see him in Game Three."
Pakistan won the match by six wickets to tie the three-game ODI series at 1-1 and the tension between the two sides seemed to have dissipated, after some fiery words in the aftermath of the series opener.
During his match-high innings of 80, Blackcaps batsman Ross Taylor signalled to umpires that he thought spin bowler Mohammad Hafeez was 'chucking' in his delivery. Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was furious and apparently lashed out in a post-match media conference.
That incident had a follow-up during the latest encounter. Taylor again starred with the bat, compiling 86 not out, but Hafeez lost his grip on a delivery that would have beaned his rival if it had been quicker.
Taylor attempted to swat the ball to the boundary, mistimed it completely and the pair shared a chuckle at each other's expense.
Game Three in the series is timed for Monday morning (NZT).
Newshub.
