A bizarre run-out incident has lit up the ILT20 in Abu Dhabi with another English batter casually walking out of his crease before the ball was dead.
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Tom Curran, who had been playing for the Melbourne Stars in the BBL before jetting off to the United Arab Emirates, strolled out of his crease after running a single, but before Kieron Pollard’s throw from long off had landed in wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran’s gloves.
The West Indian promptly whipped the bails off, and then things kicked off.
Pooran, who has also played for the Stars previously, is the captain of the MI Emirates and appealed immediately, prompting a lengthy conversation with the on field umpires.
The third umpire eventually stepped in after about two minutes and ruled that Curran was out.
As the all-rounder began to trudge off, his coach, former England boss, Andy Flower expressed his displeasure on the sidelines and told Curran to stand his ground.
As the saga drew on, roughly three and a half minutes since the dismissal occurred, Curran was eventually called back with fellow Englishman Tom Banton, who was fielding near the boundary, seemingly waving his countryman back to the crease.
Curran’s Gulf Giants needed 17 to win from 12 balls with four wickets in hand at the time, and got over the line on the final ball of the game by two wickets.
Curran was eventually dismissed three runs later for 16.
As one could expect, social media went into meltdown in response as the incident drew parallels to the infamous Jonny Bairstow stumping in the Lords Ashes Test of 2023.
Former Australian player Lisa Sthalekar wrote on X, “Oh dear. What is it with English cricketers not staying in their crease before the over is called. What is the hurry to chat to your mate the other end?”.
Prominent cricket journalist Peter Lalor also chimed in with “EXTRAORDINARY SCENES. Tom Curran has learnt nothing from Jonny Bairstow’s mistake”.
Meanwhile in England, Wisden’s Lawrence Booth said “all very odd. Quite clearly out”.