The controversial run out of Pakistan’s Salman Agha by Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz during the second ODI has been adjudged as out by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) under its rules.
Agha’s run out at the non-striker’s end, raised the debate of sportsmanship in cricket, but MCC, custodian of the game’s laws, has put an end to it by ruling it as ‘out’.
The incident happened in the 39th over when Mohammad Rizwan played a shot back to the bowler. A slight collision happened where Agha while out of his crease tried picking up the ball and returning it to Mehidy, thinking the ball was dead. But Mehidy was quick to collect the ball and hit the stumps with Agha out of the crease.
“Under Laws, there is little that either umpire could have done differently. The non-striker was clearly out of his ground when the wicket was broken, and the ball was in play. That is out,” MCC said in a statement.
“It is also worth pointing out that the non-striker had left his ground when the ball was in play and had just started to attempt to regain his ground when he collided with Mehidy. Furthermore, no batter should attempt to pick the ball up without the consent of the fielding side, and had he done so, he would have been at risk of an Obstructing the field dismissal.
“In retrospect, he would have been better using that time to attempt to regain his ground.”
Agha, after being dismissed on 64, threw his helmet and gloves in frustration. The ICC later reprimanded him and added one demerit point for a Level 1 breach of the Code of Conduct. MCC also added that under the new laws, an umpire will determine if the ball is dead or not.
“Under the new Laws, which will come into effect in October, an umpire will be able to determine that the ball is finally settled if it is stationary on the ground,” the MCC said.
“However, it is hard to make an argument that the ball is finally settled if the nearest fielder to it is attempting to run the non-striker out, with that non-striker out of their ground.
“There is no case, therefore, to be made that this was Not out under Law, nor that the Law could be re-written to somehow make a situation like this Not out.”
The MCC also rejected claims that the ball should have been ruled dead, explaining that a collision by itself isn’t enough for that decision. They said it would only apply in cases of a serious injury or when it’s obvious that play has stopped.
“There have been some suggestions that the ball should have been treated as Dead. That is not viable under the Laws; the ball does not become dead when players collide †if it did, that would incentivise players to seek out collisions when the situation was advantageous,” it said.
“There was no question of a serious injury, so there could be no call of Dead ball for that. It could not have been clear to the umpire that all the players ceased to consider the ball to be in play, since Mehidy clearly believed it was live, even if Agha did not.
“And it cannot have been finally settled in the hands of the bowler or wicket-keeper, since it was on the ground.”
