WATCH: UAE’s Basil Hameed takes ridiculous return catch leaping outside the pitch across the non-striker

The ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 match between Nepal and UAE on Friday (March 18) in Dubai saw home team spinner Basil Hameed pull off one of the most stunning catches seen in recent times.

Hameed secured a tough caught & bowled dismissal with absolute ease during Nepal’s run-chase after UAE had set them a target of only 169 runs.

At 85/4, Nepal seemed relatively comfortable in their quest with more than 26 overs left in the innings. Just then, they lost a wicket to one eye-catching display of fielding brilliance from UAE’s off-spinner Basil Hameed.

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Basil Hameed took one of the best catches seen in recent times.

UAE spinner Basil Hameed takes an astonishing catch

The dismissal was seen on the final ball of the 24th over in Nepal’s chase. Aarif Sheikh, the right-hand batter, was yet to get off the mark when he faced Hameed, UAE’s highly disciplined spinner.

Itching to put a run on the board and get to the other end, Sheikh drove a full-pitched ball from Basil Hameed towards his batting partner with the intention to scale the long-on region.

However, this is when Hameed showcased his agility and athleticism. He made a valiant dive to his right and took the catch with both his feet in the air. Usually, bowlers find it difficult to first adjust against the momentum of their action and then to avoid the batting partner for such catches.

But not only did the bowler flexibly get into the catching motion, he also made sure to complete it while the batter at the other end – in this case, Rohit Paudel – was ducking and was just away from him. Hameed leaped past the playing surface to complete a sensational grab.

Associate Cricket is so Underrated !!
Look at this absolutely brilliant catch from Basil Hameed @ICC @EmiratesCricket #NepalvUAE pic.twitter.com/LxkOywVqSu

— Suvam Koirala (@SuvamKoirala_45) March 18, 2022

In a low-scoring CWC League 2 fixture, which counts towards the 2023 World Cup qualification structure, Hameed went on to bag fantastic figures of 4/15 off his 5 overs and played a critical role in UAE’s important win by 48 runs.