Newsnight apologise after confusing Wasim Akram for Imran Khan

With Khan currently leading early counting in the Pakistan general election, the broadcaster included a segment on the story in their Wednesday bulletin

Newsnight, the BBC's flagship news programme, has apologised after confusing former cricketers Wasim Akram and Imran Khan.

With Khan currently leading early counting in the Pakistan general election, the broadcaster included a segment on the story in their Wednesday bulletin.

However, during the introductory sequence, video of Akram was shown instead of his former team-mate.

Film of the left-arm seamer claiming the wicket of Alan Mullally during a Test match at the Oval in the 1990s was played. Imran bowled right-handed.

The error was quickly picked up on by social media users, and an apology was soon forthcoming from Newsnight.

Its official Twitter account posted: "Apologies on our intro just then!! A bit of an error - that was Wasim Akram bowling and not Imran Khan".

Meanwhile, presenter Evan Davis said at the end of the show: "We made a mistake in our opening tonight. The footage we showed was of the cricketer Wasim Akram not Imran Khan.

"Don't know how that happened, sincere apologies for that."