‘Heat of the moment’: Imam-ul-Haq apologises for Shane Watson send-off

Peshawar Zalmi opener Imam-ul-Haq has apologised for his send-off to Shane Watson in Sunday’s charged final of the Pakistan Super League where Quetta Gladiators were crowned the champions.

Imam came under fire for his heated send-off to the former Australian all-rounder, who was run out by a swift throw from Umer Amin following a poor call by Ahmed Shehzad on the wicket.

Watson was seen exchanging words with Imam who pointed him to the dressing room on his way out. The incident was caught on camera and went viral within minutes, as Twitterati criticised the opener for what seemed to be unnecessary hostility on his part.

In a tweet clarifying the incident, Imam apologised saying “his reaction to Watson’s inappropriate abusive comments was avoidable.”

“It was a good match and a great HBL PSL 2019, let’s enjoy its success. Congrats to Gladiators and Watson for the trophy and awards,” the batsman added. 

Quetta Gladiators beat 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi by eight wickets on Sunday to lift their maiden PSL title, in a pulsating atmosphere created by a sold-out crowd of 32,000 fans at Karachi's National Stadium.