On Wednesday, Mushfiqur Rahim did something unusual during a cricket game. He became the first Bangladesh batter to be declared out for ‘obstructing the field.
On Wednesday, Mushfiqur Rahim, a former captain, did something unusual in a cricket match. He became the first Bangladesh batter to be declared out for ‘obstructing the field’ during the second Test against New Zealand. This happened on the opening day.
During the game, when facing a delivery from New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson in the 41st over, Rahim defended the ball. However, as the ball bounced wide outside off stump, he extended his right hand to keep it away. The Black Caps quickly appealed, the on-field umpires consulted the TV umpire Ahsan Raza, who ruled Rahim out.
According to the cricket rules (Law 37.1.2), a batter can be out obstructing the field if, while receiving a ball from the bowler, they intentionally hit the ball with a hand not holding the bat. This applies whether it’s the first or subsequent strikes. Earlier, such dismissals were called “handled the ball,” but a rule change in 2017 categorized them as “obstructing the field.”
The last time a batter was given out for ‘handling the ball’ was in 2001 when former England captain Michael Vaughan played against India. Rahim was the top-scorer for Bangladesh in this match, scoring 35 off 83 balls, but the team was bowled out for 172 in 67 overs. Bangladesh had won the first Test in Sylhet by 150 runs.
