Australia captain Steven Smith withdrew an appeal against Noor Ahmad in the 47th over of Afghanistan’s innings after wicketkeeper Josh Inglis whipped off the bails at the striker’s end to catch Noor out of his ground before the over was called.

Noor had not been attempting a run – he had drifted out of his crease to meet batting partner Azmatullah Omarazi mid-pitch, mistakenly believing that the ball was dead. The ball is live until the umpire calls “over”, however, and umpire Alex Wharf had not yet called.

Replays showed Noor to be well out of his ground, but Smith was quick to signal to the umpires that the appeal should not be considered, despite some enthusiasm from Inglis. Noor had just completed a single after Omarzai struck Nathan Ellis through midwicket and called Noor – the No. 10 batter – through, in order to keep strike for the next over.

Although Afghanistan were not attempting to gain an advantage, the rules of cricket are clear. Run-outs are a viable dismissal until the ball is dead. If Smith had not withdrawn the appeal, Noor would have been ruled out, likely by third umpire Chris Gaffaney.

Noor had been on three off three balls at the time, and went to make six off eight. But of more consequence was the fact that Afghanistan would have been 248 for 9 after 47 overs had Smith not withdrawn the appeal. They were less likely to have hit the further 25 runs they managed if they had only had one wicket in hand. Noor was eventually dismissed off the last ball of the innings.

Australia have in the past upheld appeals against batters ambling out of their crease, even if they were not looking to take a run. Most famously, this occurred in a Test at Lord’s against England in 2023, when Alex Carey underarmed the ball into the stumps after Jonny Bairstow had wandered down the pitch before the ball was deemed dead.

Muthiah Muralidaran had also been dismissed in similar circumstances in a Test in Christchurch in 2006, when he had wandered out of the crease to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara on completing a century before the ball was dead (though that had not been at the end of an over). Brendon McCullum broke the stumps on that occasion, and captain Stephen Fleming upheld the appeal.

In the 2011 Trent Bridge Test, India recalled Ian Bell to the crease after he had been run-out in similar circumstances at the stroke of tea on day three, when he ran a three and proceeded to walk down the pitch and towards the dressing rooms, before the fielder Praveen Kumar had had a chance to throw the ball in from the boundary. India captain MS Dhoni agreed to recall Bell after England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower approached him during the tea interval with this request.

[Cricinfo]