BBL 2023 | Twitter in splits as Haris Rauf forced to bat without pads in lieu of time-out threat

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Cricket has come a long way from the days of no helmets to mandated batting safety gear but one thing that has remained constant for nearly three centuries is the use of pads. However, Haris Rauf offered a glimpse at history on Saturday when he trotted onto the pitch with just a bat and helmet.

Melbourne Stars spurned another chance to open their account in the ongoing season of the Big Bash League as they came second best to Sydney Thunder in Albury to register a third loss in succession. The side failed to take advantage of Beau Webster's all-round heroics as the 30-year-old's 59 with the bat propelled them to a competitive total of 172 but his four scalps were not enough to keep Thunder from chasing it down with 10 balls to spare. The defining moment of the encounter certainly came in the last over of the Stars' batting effort and featured the rarest sight on a cricket field.

With the score 170/6, the Stars looked set to launch themselves beyond 180 when Daniel Sams took the ball for the 20th over even though the pacer began efficiently by giving away just two singles. However, havoc ensued as he first had Webster holed out at midwicket before deceiving Usama Mir with a slower one to have him caught on long-on. Mark Steketee was the next to take the crease and swung wildly at the Kookaburra only to end up missing but the tailender attempted to sneak a bye which led to a run-out at the non-striker's end, completing the team hat-trick. All this chaos meant that with just one ball to go in the innings and three wickets falling rapidly, the last Stars player in the dugout Haris Rauf had to prepare himself to bat in a jiffy having little expected to get a go if not for the wild sequence of events. Consequently, the Pakistan pacer rushed onto the field holding just his bats, gloves, and helmet, with no pads to protect his legs to avoid being timed out and given he did not expect to face a delivery. 

As it turned out, Rauf's presence made little difference with Sams snaring another to end the innings with four wickets on the trot but the sight of an apologetic Rauf asking the Thunder contingent to exercise caution given his lack of safety equipment made for hilarious viewing for the Twitterati.

Hilarious Haris Rauf!

Who comes to bat without pads on??🤣🤣🤣

Only he can do this!

He wouldn't have expected!

Lol! So funny!

Hahaha!

Hope he has all the other things! xD

True that! Agreed completely!

Legend!

Salute the man!

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