In what would go down as an addition to the already crowded list of all-time comical Pakistan run-out dismissals, Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha was left fuming on Friday after he was deemed to be out of the crease when his Bangladesh counterpart Mehidy Hasan Miraz got into a tangle with him at the non-striker’s end. While the non-stirker’s end umpire immediately signalled to the TV umpire to have a look at it as Bangladesh appealed, Kumar Dharmasena waste little time in judging that the Pakistan batter was outside his crease and ruled him run out. While Mehidy’s decision to go for the run out could potentially reignite the tedious ‘spirit of cricket’ debate again, there is an argument to be made that Salman was out even if the bowler’s underarm throw hadn’t hit the stumps.
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First, here’s what happened. Mehidy delivered toe ball to Mohammad Rizwan who hit it down the ground off his backfoot, towards the right of the bowler. Mehidy got around the non-striker to try and stop the ball with his boot. Salman, despite being well out of his crease and in Miraz’s way, bent down to pick the ball to try and hand it back to the bowler evidently. But Mehidy swooped in himself and in an underarm throw, knocked the bails off with Salman clearly stranded outside the crease.
Now, according to rule 37.4, pertaining to ‘Obstructing the Field’ mode of dismissal, “Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he uses the bat or any part of his person to return the ball to any fielder.”
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In this instance, the ball was still very much in play as Mehidy got down to pick it up, and there is no doubt that the bowler believes the run out dismissal is in play. Which means Salman had no business trying to pick up the ball with his hand. And given that this incident happens before the stumps are thrown down, Salman would have easily been given out Obstructing the Field, if the Bangladesh players appealed for it, in case the ball had even missed the stumps. And Obstructing the Field would have taken precedence over run out.
Crucial moment! Mehidy Hasan Miraz removes Salman Agha with a brilliant run-out. ⚡🏏#BCB #Cricket #Bangladesh #Pakistan #ODI pic.twitter.com/N0inKkZVwz
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) March 13, 2026
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Here’s the complete description for Obstructing the Field:
37.1.1 Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, except in the circumstances of clause 37.2, and while the ball is in play, he wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action.
Salman Ali Agha and Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz try to pick up the ball which Miraz got to first and then threw at the stumps to run out the Pakistan batter. (Screengrab via Fan Code)
37.1.2 The striker is out Obstructing the field if, except in the circumstances of clause 37.2, in the act of receiving a ball delivered by the bowler, he wilfully strikes the ball with a hand not holding the bat. This will apply whether it is the first strike or a second or subsequent strike. The act of receiving the ball shall extend both to playing at the ball and to striking the ball more than once in defence of his wicket.
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37.1.3 This clause will apply whether or not No ball is called.
37.1.4 For the avoidance of doubt, if an umpire feels that a batter, in running between the wickets, has significantly changed his direction without probable cause and thereby obstructed a fielder’s attempt to effect a run out, the batter should, on appeal.
