Sports
Saud Shakeel timed out in President’s Trophy final
Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel has become the seventh batter in first-class cricket to be timed out. On day two of the final of the President’s Trophy, a domestic first-class competition in Pakistan, Shakeel, playing for State Bank of Pakistan, emerged late from the dugout after two wickets fell in two balls. Amad Butt, the captain of the opposition side PTV, appealed after Shakeel was not ready to take guard within the required three minutes.
ESPNcricinfo understands the swift fall of two wickets left Shakeel unprepared. He arrived at the crease to face the delivery, but Butt appealed, and the umpires agreed he had not been ready within three minutes, following which a timed-out appeal can be lodged. The most recent such dismissal in top-level cricket was also the highest-profile, when Angelo Matthews became the only cricketer to be dismissed in this manner during an international match. It happened during Sri Lanka’s 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh, with Shakib-al-Hasan successfully appealing for timed out.
Umar Amin and Fawad Alam fell to fast bowler Muhammad Shahzad within two deliveries, leaving him on a hat-trick. Following Shakeel’s unusual dismissal, Irfan Khan came out to bat, and had his stumps knocked back first ball, giving Shahzad a hat-trick. It meant that State Bank of Pakistan went from 128 for 1 to 128 for 5 in the space of three balls.
The rare dismissal is not the only thing that makes the President’s Trophy final unusual. Owing to Ramadan, a period when devout Muslims do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset, the PCB decided to play the entire tournament at night, with a day’s play running from 7:30pm to 2.30am, with tea and dinner breaks between sessions.
Shahzad’s hat-trick helped PTV dismiss State Bank of Pakistan for 205, with former Pakistan opener Imran Butt scoring 89.
(Cricinfo)