They say cricket is a funny game. It can be a fun game at times. After its creation, the game has seen some wonderful moments. There was a point in the game when everything changed. However, there are some strange bizarre moments that have never happened in cricket and may never happen again. As the #NZvBAN T20I game was halted due to a run-calculation error in the DLS method, we present 10 Bizarre Moments in Cricket History That Never Happened.
10 Strange Cricket Moments That Shocked the World
#1 Pollard got taped
Kieron Pollard taped his mouth during a game against RCB in the 2015 Indian Premier League. The umpires were not pleased with his attempts to get under the skin of fellow West Indian batter Chris Gayle. Pollard taped his mouth and did not say anything to Gayle after the umpires asked him to be quiet.
Everyone on the ground was stunned and saw the irony. Gayle, on the other hand, did not find it amusing. This is one of cricket’s strangest moments.
#2 Bees want to play
Cricket is a popular sport among Indians, and it is also popular among Indian bees. Bees attacked the ground during a Test match between India and England at Delhi’s Ferozshah Kotla stadium. The incident caused the players, officials, and ground staff to hot the ground in order to avoid being stung.
This happened again during the 2019 Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street in Durham.
#3 Inzi wants to hit him
In general, Inzamam-Ul-Haq is a very quiet and relaxed individual. Even a person like him, however, lost his cool. The test match between archrivals India and Pakistan was held in Toronto, Canada in 1997. The match was proceeding normally until an enraged Inzamam-Ul-Haq charged into the crowd and struck a fan.
One of the fans from the crowd was mocking Inzi with words like “Aloo”. After a few minutes, Inzi lost control and went to beat him. Fortunately, he was stopped by security personnel. The ICC banned Inzamam for two Tests following that incident.
#4 The Score Mistake
This is the most recent addition to our list of the ten most bizarre moments in cricket history. New Zealand batted first in a Twenty20 International match against Bangladesh at McLean Park in New Zealand. Because of the rain, the first inning was called at 17.5 overs. The Black Caps had a 173/5 lead. When Bangladesh batted, they were unsure of the target they needed to chase.
The game was paused after 9 balls because the target was stated to be 170. Despite the fact that the Bangladesh team was aware of the target of 148. After 13 overs, the target was reduced to 171. This was one of the few times in cricket history when the batting team was unsure of the target.
However, a technical issue caused the confusion, preventing the DLS sheet from being handed over to the teams.
#5 The South African Heart Break- 1992 World Cup Semi-final
Despite having a strong team and individual players, South Africa has yet to win an ICC trophy. They suffered another heartbreak in the 1992 World Cup Semi-Finals.
However, they were powerless to intervene this time. It was the DLS method once more. When the game couldn’t be played completely, the DLS method was used to solve the problem. The rain stopped play with the Proteas needing 22 points off 13 balls to advance to the final. However, when play resumed, the scoreboard revealed that they needed an impossible 22 off 1 ball.
One of the most heartbreaking moments in World Cup history. After that, the Proteas never appeared in another World Cup final.
#6 Masseur’s Debut in a Test Match
This isn’t just a strange cricket moment; it’s also a funny one. Team Australia was in trouble after sending their extra players in squad to play domestic matches.
The stage was set. It was the first day-night test match in history. Grant Baldwin, the Australian team masseur and logistics assistant, was going about his business. However, because Mitchell Starc was injured, the team was forced to send in Baldwin to fill in for Starc.
Baldwin was a Victoria Second Grade player. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to play for his country in a test match. That is not something that everyone has accomplished.
#7 Holding free kicks the stumps
After winning the series in Australia in 1980, the West Indies toured New Zealand. The World Champions hoped to defeat them in three days. However, the likes of Richard Hadlee and John Wright ensured that the battle lasted until the end.
Michael Holding was bowling bullets on the fifth day. One of John Parker’s balls appeared to have been gloved to the wicketkeeper. Holding was so sure of himself that he celebrated without even appealing. He was surprised, however, to see that umpire John Hastie did not move after ruling the appeal not out.
Holding couldn’t keep his anger in check. He kicked the batsman’s stumps aggressively. The middle stump flew away. The amateur photograph of that incident has become one of the most iconic cricket images ever.
Colin Croft even claimed that the image could have qualified Holding for Manchester United trials.
#8 Eden Gardens and the 1996 World Cup Semi-finals
Eden Gardens is widely regarded as one of the world’s most recognisable stadiums. The stage was set for India to face Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup semi-finals.
India made a shaky start in pursuit of 252. With India on 97/1, Sachin was bowled out by Sanath Jayasuriya. Sachin’s wicket proved to be the turning point of the game, as India lost 7 wickets in 23 runs.
The Eden Gardens crowd erupted. Maybe it got out of hand when they started throwing bottles. Furthermore, some of them set fire to the seats.
After assessing the situation, match referee Clive Lloyd called a halt to the game. As a result of the match situation, the match was awarded to Sri Lanka, with Vinod Kambli not out after 10 of 29 balls.
Another iconic cricket image is Kambli crying on the ground.
#9 Ranatunga walking off to support Muralitharan
During Sri Lanka’s 1999 tour of Australia, one man was frequently in the news. Umpire Ross Emerson accused Muthaiah Muralitharan, an off-spinner with a distinctive action, of chucking. Emerson had previously called no-balls against Murali during their previous tour.
Emerson from square leg called no-ball as soon as Murali bowled the second ball of the 19th over.
Arjuna Ranatunga, the captain of Sri Lanka, appeared enraged. Perhaps the game came to a halt for “12 minutes” as he motioned his teammates to get off the ground. The captain stood by the downcast bowler, who went on to become the greatest spinner of all time.
#10 Harbhajan’s slap to Sreesanth: “Slapgate”
The “Slapgate” incident is one of the most contentious in IPL history. Harbhajan Singh captained the Mumbai Indians team in 2008. While Sreesanth was one of the most promising young players for Kings XI Punjab.
Sreesanth was always open about his celebrations. The farewells were always memorable. However, Bhajji did not approve of his players’ send-offs. An enraged Harbhajan slapped him down the boundary line after Sreesanth bowled them out for a fantastic win.
Though there is no video of the slap, everyone watching the game saw both of them cry afterward. Lalchand Rajpoot, the then-coach of the Mumbai Indians, was fired as a result of this incident. Though Harbhajan later apologised and the situation was resolved, it remains one of the most bizarre moments in cricket history.
Also Read: Who is the Godfather or Baap of IPL And Why? (sportsdigest.in)
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