On This Day: Catch Drop That Made A Meme And Still Haunts Pakistan Cricket Team

Six years ago, at the quiet English town of Taunton, a dropped catch gave rise to one of cricket's most legendary memes. Today, June 12, Thursday 2025 it lives on--not just in internet archives, but in the shared memory of every Pakistan cricket fan.

It was match 17 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Australia vs Pakistan. A high-voltage clash at the County Ground in Taunton, and the Aussies, led by Aaron Finch, were off to a flying start. David Warner and Finch had Pakistan’s bowlers on the ropes.

Then came a moment that could have changed the tide.

As mentioned in our article from 2024 'Birth Of A Meme', in the 13th over, left-arm quick Wahab Riaz induced an edge off Finch, who was batting on 26. The ball flew to Asif Ali at first slip--regulation stuff for international cricket. But what followed was a gasp across the stadium: Asif dropped it.

Finch capitalised. He went on to make 82 off 84 deliveries, stitching together a mammoth 146-run partnership with Warner. If that wasn’t painful enough, Asif Ali dropped another catch--this time Warner, who was on a rampaging 104--at third man in the 37th over. The drops turned a potential breakthrough into heartbreak.

But it was in the raw emotion caught on camera shortly after: a Pakistani fan, arms akimbo, lips pursed, wearing a pink checked shirt and navy blue jacket and a highly disappointed look on the face. That man was Muhammad Sarim Akhtar--and he became a legend of a different sort.

His expression was instantly relatable. The meme that followed, dubbed “Angry Pakistan Fan,” was viral among the cricket community.

Today, on June 12, 2025, the meme turns six.

In fact, Somerset County Cricket Club commemorated the day with a nostalgic post on their official social media pages, reminding fans of the day a legend was born. "On this day - 2019: A meme was born at Taunton."

Pakistan Tour Of West Indies 2025

Fast forward to the present, Pakistan cricket team has recently blanked Bangladesh 3-0 in a T20I series. With momentum on their side, they’re now gearing up for a tour to the West Indies starting July 31, which includes three T20Is and three ODIs.