Bizarre rule decides eleven players as Man of the Match

The game of cricket can be funny at times. During a recent match in Australia, a batsman was dismissed in very weird fashion, his middle stump was uprooted and it went for a walk, while the bails remained intact. Now, as per the rule, the bails are to be dislodged, that is the very primary case in such dismissals. Everyone including the batsman and the bowler looked up to the umpire, as he adjudged it out, and the batsman had to walk back to the pavilion.

There is one more interesting story which saw eleven men receive the Man of the Match award or rather ‘men of the match’. It was the 3rd ODI match between England and Pakistan at Nottingham. England opener Nick Knight scored his career best 125* not out in that very game. The English side was led by Mike Atherton, while Wasim Akram was the skipper of the Pakistan team.

Bizarre scenario

England set the visitors a target of 247, which was more than a competitive score back then before the T20 era came into the map. Pakistan started off well with the openers putting up 93 on the board for the first wicket, the game turned out to be a close one as he chased down the total with two balls to spare, and with just two wickets in hand.

Now the interesting scenario turned up when the jury had to choose the player of the match for the game. Opener Knight’s 125 not out looked the likely candidate but then the hundred went in vain. All-rounder Adam Hollioake’s 4/45 got the hosts back in the game after Pakistan were cruising home at 177/2.

For Pakistan, opener Saeed Anwar’s 61 was crucial apart from Ijaz Ahmed’s 59 in the middle. In what can be called as a bizarre decision, but the entire Pakistan team was awarded the Player of the Match award.