'Left last night with tears' - Shahnawaz Dahani's tweet for Shaun Tait leaves everyone in shock, bowler clarifies

On Saturday, Pakistan fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani's tweet about former Australian pacer Shaun Tait, who served as the Pakistan team's bowling coach, shocked and perplexed social media users. The tweet was sent out the day after Pakistan's humiliating home ODI series loss to New Zealand.

The timing of the post, however, led some to wonder whether it signalled poorly for Tait's health. Later, the Pakistani pacer was compelled to explain his tweet. Dahani shared images of himself with the former Australian pacer, referring to Tait as his "friend," along with an emoticon for a broken heart.

“A friend who brought smiles, left last night with tears. #ShaunTait,” Dahani tweeted. "Ary bhai Pakistan Cricket Team k baat kar rha hon (I was talking about the Pakistan team)," he later clarified after the confusion had escalated to the level where fans felt Tait had passed away.

Here is Shahnawaz Dahani's tweet

Ary bhai Pakistan Cricket Team k baat kar rha hon. 🤦‍♂️ https://t.co/23ktxLNAs9

— Shahnawaz Dahani (@ShahnawazDahani) January 14, 2023

While Tait's contract is set to expire in February, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet provided an official update on the current status of the bowling coach position. Umar Gul, a former fast bowler for Pakistan who was previously employed by the Afghanistan team until December 2021, has reportedly emerged as the front-runner to replace the current incumbent.

However, he acknowledged that the board has not yet contacted him about the position. “It is an honour to work for the national team. After I retired from international cricket, I always wanted to work for my team as a coach, but PCB never approached me," he told Express News.

After playing Australia's final T20, Tait announced his retirement from international cricket in 2016. Before leaving in December, he served as Afghanistan's bowling coach during the 20-20 World Cup 2021 in the United Arab Emirates.