Australia have pulled off a spectacular and highly unusual move to dismiss Pakistan’s batsman Fawad Alam during Sunday’s one-day clash in Abu Dhabi.

The left-hander took block to face spinner Xavier Doherty during the 18th over of Pakistan’s innings and Steve Smith was positioned at slip.

Smith noticed the batsman preparing to play a pre-meditated sweep shot and after the bowler released the ball, Smith ran to leg slip where Fawad swept the ball and the fieldsman completed a simple catch.

Both on-field umpires conferred before Fawad was adjudged out for a fourth-ball duck with the team’s total on 3-80.

But Fawad wasn’t finished and remained on the boundary line to seek clarification from a match official before finally walking off, hitting the boundary rope with his bat in frustration as he left the field.

The rules state a fielder is entitled to move before the ball reaches the batsman as long as it’s in response to the shot the batsman is shaping to play.

“As long as the movement of a close-catching fielder is in response to the striker’s actions (the shot he is about to play or shaping to play), then movement is permitted before the ball reaches the striker,” the relevant section of the playing conditions states.

– with AAP