Wasim Akram Worried Yasir Shah “Poked the Bear” with his Celebration after Dismissing Steve Smith

The joy of getting the top-ranked Test batsman for the seventh time had brought out a provoking celebration from Yasir Shah during the first test between Australia and Pakistan at the Gabba, Brisbane.

Steve Smith was dismissed for just four runs in the match. Although it hardly mattered in the context of the match, personally, the celebration seemd to have motivated Smith to do better.

“I am motivated, particularly after he put his fingers up … that he got me seven times,” Smith said before the start of the second test match in Adelaide. “A couple of the boys were in the sheds just after that and said ‘he’s just woken up the beast’ or something like that. We’re in for a battle next week. I’m not going to be giving away my wicket very easily this time.

“I actually didn’t even know that he’d gotten me out [seven times]. I thought that he’d gotten me out once or twice. Seven times? There you go. Pakistan [UAE] 2014, he got me twice at least there, actually three times.”

Talking about Yasir Shah’s celebration, Pakistan legend Wasim Akram felt that it was unnecessary keeping in mind that the match was already gone and that it might also provoke Smith in the next test match. 

“You know in our times, when I played I didn’t bother with how many times I got out who,” Akram was quoted as saying by Fox Sports. “It was the last thing on our minds. Nowadays, with stats, people know everything.”

“But I, as a bowler, (asked myself) ‘am I impacting the game or not? Am I winning the game for Pakistan or vice versa?’ If not, that doesn’t matter if I’ve got him seven times. It was just an inexperienced mistake. I hope he hasn’t poked the bear there.”

“Not unwise … I wouldn’t have done it. I would have done it in the fourth innings if I got him out the second time winning the Test match. But not when you’re losing badly.”