Saud Shakeel Timed Out After Falling Asleep in First-Class Match
Pakistan's Saud Shakeel was timed out in a first-class match after he fell asleep and missed his chance to bat.
In an unusual and rare event, Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel was dismissed ‘timed out’ while playing for State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) against Pakistan Television (PTV) in the President’s Cup Grade 1 First-Class tournament.
Shakeel, who was supposed to bat at No. 5, failed to arrive at the crease within the required three minutes, leading to a successful appeal from the fielding side. Reports suggest he was asleep and missed his turn to bat in time.
Saud Shakeel’s Rare Timed-Out Dismissal
The incident occurred when SBP was batting at 128-1, but a sudden collapse saw skipper Umar Amin and Fawad Alam dismissed off consecutive balls by Mohammad Shahzad. Shakeel, the next batter, did not reach the crease on time, prompting PTV captain Amad Butt to appeal. The umpires upheld the appeal, sending Shakeel back without facing a ball.
Adding to SBP’s troubles, Shahzad completed a hat-trick by bowling Mohammad Irfan on the very next delivery. The collapse continued, and SBP was eventually bowled out for 205.
Saud Shakeel Joins an Unwanted List
With this dismissal, Shakeel became only the seventh cricketer in first-class history to be given out ‘timed out’ since the rule was introduced. The dismissal is extremely rare in professional cricket, making this incident even more bizarre.
What Is a ‘Timed Out’ Dismissal?
A batsman is given out ‘timed out’ if they fail to take their position at the crease within three minutes of the previous batter’s dismissal. If the fielding side appeals and the new batter is not ready in time, the umpires can declare the player out. It is one of the ten modes of dismissal in cricket but is rarely seen in competitive matches.
