Snaffling a return catch is a good judgement of a bowler’s reflexes, finding the non-striker unaware is another: UAE’s Rohan Mustafa did both off the same ball, but it’s not exactly what you think.
The recently concluded six-team ICC World Cup Qualifier Playoff, in its inaugural edition, saw the USA and the UAE making their way to the World Cup Qualifier in June, ahead of the main event in October. The tournament was not without drama: from over-rate fines to umpiring howlers, there was the usual offering of most multi-team events.
It was a hard-fought tournament after all: two cricketers from the USA and one from Jersey were even penalised after breaching ICC’s Code of Conduct, the charges ranging from “audible obscenity” to “inappropriate physical contact” to “provoking the batter”.
But there were also moments of cheeky schoolboy antics.
In UAE’s clash against Jersey last week, all-rounder Mustafa had a rather quiet outing. He perished for a three-ball duck, and took just one wicket – although he did squeeze out a moment of mirth off the second one.
When Jersey opener Harrison Carlyon clipped a ball back to Mustafa in the 21st over, the bowler dealt with it like a hot potato, juggling it twice before completing the grab. He did not stop at that – with the ball in hand, he knocked on Josh Lawrenson’s abdomen gear, giving the non-striker a cheeky scare.
Clearly proud of his mischief, Mustafa cracked up, as did umpire Isaac Oyieko, wicketkeeper Aryansh Sharma, and most importantly, Lawrenson himself.
It does not quite qualify as a non-striker run out, but you can probably call it the ‘Mustafa’!
The Qualifier Play-off did have some bad blood, but there was this, and considering even Harrison Carlyon thought it was funny, I say play on 😂 pic.twitter.com/UoiRuPZRia
— Daniel Beswick (@DGBeswick1) April 6, 2023
