The first match of Pakistan vs New Zealand is underway, with Pakistan chasing a formidable target of 321. However, their innings got off to an unusual start, as Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel walked out to open instead of the usual pair, and it’s all due to ICC rules. So, what exactly happened, and why was Fakhar Zaman barred from opening?
It all began when Fakhar Zaman suffered an injury while fielding. He left the field in the first over and didn’t return until the 33rd over, a whopping 135 minutes later. During the Pakistani bowling, he was only on the field for 110 minutes.
As it turns out, Fakhar Zaman didn’t spend the required amount of time on the field. According to ICC rules, a player who misses a significant portion of the opposing team’s innings due to injury or any other reason can’t take the field immediately when it’s their team’s turn to bat. In this case, Fakhar Zaman was required to stay off the field for a certain period, which meant he couldn’t come out to open with Babar Azam. Instead, Saud Shakeel took his place, and the two of them started the Pakistani innings.
ICC Rules Explained
The ICC rulebook states that if a player is absent from the field for more than a certain period, they must spend an equivalent amount of time off the field when their team is batting. This is to prevent teams from gaining an unfair advantage by having a player recover or receive treatment while their teammates field, only to return fresh for batting. In Fakhar Zaman’s case, his absence during the New Zealand innings meant he had to sit out the initial 25 minutes of the Pakistani innings, paving the way for Saud Shakeel to join Babar Azam at the crease.
Impact on the Game
The absence of Fakhar Zaman at the top could have a significant impact on the game, as he is a key player for Pakistan. However, it will be interesting to see how Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam navigate the New Zealand bowling attack and try to lay a solid foundation for their team’s chase.