In a notable incident during the President’s Trophy final in Rawalpindi, Saud Shakeel became the first Pakistan batter to be timed out in First-Class cricket.
The State Bank of Pakistan‘s number five batter failed to make it to the crease, reportedly for being asleep in the dressing room, in time following the consecutive dismissals of captain Umar Amin and Fawad Alam by Pakistan Television’s pace bowler. Despite Shakeel eventually walking out after the quick wickets, the on-field umpire ruled him timed out.
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This dismissal marks the first high-profile instance of its kind since Angelo Mathews was timed out during the 2023 ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh. Shakeel is the ninth cricketer to be timed out in cricket history.
The President’s Trophy has attracted attention for its unique scheduling during the holy month of Ramadan. To accommodate Muslim players who fast from sunrise to sunset, matches are being played through the night, with sessions scheduled from 7:30 pm to 2:30 am.
The tournament’s nocturnal timing ensures players can participate while observing their religious obligations during Ramadan.
What is the timed out rule in cricket?
One of the 10 modes of dismissals in the sport, the timed out rule was officially incorporated in the Laws of Cricket only in 1980. According to Law 40.1.1, “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”
What happened in the incident involving Shakeel?
As per reports, Shakeel arrived in the middle after quick dismissals, but PTV captain Amad Butt appealed, and the umpires agreed that the Test batter was not ready within the stipulated three minutes.
How many batters have been dismissed in First-Class cricket in similar manner?
Shakeel’s timed out dismissal was the first of its kind in First-Class cricket since 2017-18 and only the seventh overall.
Has it happened in international cricket also?
Besides Angelo Mathews’ controversial dismissal during the 2023 World Cup, Ghana’s Godfred Bakiweyem was the only other cricketer to be timed out in international cricket. It came in a T20I against Sierra Leone in 2023.
