Former England captain Michael Vaughan welcomed Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim to the ‘exclusive’ club of Test cricketers who have been disqualified for ball handling.
On Day One of the Dhaka Test against New Zealand, Mushfiqur became the eighth member of this fictitious club.
Mushfiqur is the only hitter since Vaughan to be sent for handling the ball in a Test match, a dismissal that was reclassified as obstructing the pitch in 2017.
Vaughan, who was sent off against India in Bengaluru in December 2001 for handling the ball, took to ‘X’, then known as Twitter, to respond to Mushfiqur’s pretty humorous dismissal.
“Welcome to the very exclusive Handled ball club @mushfiqur15.. only proper players are members,” Vaughan posted on Instagram.
Mushfiqur, who was batting on 35 at the time, fielded a delivery from bowler Kyle Jamieson and then whacked it with his right hand as the ball was flying beyond of the wickets.
He is the eighth hitter in Test cricket history to be dismissed for impeding the pitch.
In August 1951, English cricketer Len Hutton was the first player to be dismissed for disturbing the pitch during a Test match against South Africa.
Russel Endean of South Africa was the first player to be punished for handling the ball in a Test against England in January 1957.