Watch: Opening bowler Kaleemullah gave Oman their first breakthrough in the World Cup 2023 Qualifier Super Six match against Zimbabwe when he dismissed opposition captain Craig Ervine. Kaleemullah followed it with a loud, visible send-off today (June 29).

Zimbabwe hosted Oman in Bulawayo for the first match of the Super Six stage of the World Cup Qualifier. Oman won the toss and put Zimbabwe into bat.

Back to lead the hosts after missing the last game against the USA, Ervine opened batting with Joylord Gumbie The openers gave Zimbabwe a decent start against the Oman new-ball bowlers, who were getting the ball to shape early on.

Zimbabwe were 40-0 after 10 overs. Kaleemullah, who had opened bowling with left-arm seamer Bilal Khan, continued for a sixth consecutive over after the first powerplay, and finally got his reward for consistent bowling.

Bowling round the wicket, Kaleemullah came from wide of the crease to angle the ball back into the left-handed Ervine, who went for an expansive cover drive on the rise, only to leave a massive gap between bat and pad. The ball snuck through to hit the top of off stump.

An ecstatic Kaleemullah followed through right up to the batter’s crease and gave Ervine, who had started to walk back, a massive send-off.

While it wasn’t clear what exactly was said, the umpires called Kaleemullah in to have a word after the dismissal.

Article 2.5 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel deals with excessively aggressive celebrations and ‘send-offs’: “Any language, action or gesture used by a Player and directed towards a batter upon his/her dismissal which has the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dismissed batter, whether or not any reaction results, or which could be considered to disparage or demean the dismissed batter, regardless of whether the batter him/herself feels disparaged or demeaned (in other words, a ‘send-off’).” It constitutes a Level 1 offence.

Kaleemullah’s celebrations may lead to him being booked under this article after the game. The last male cricketer to be booked under Article 2.5 was USA’s Muhammad Ali Khan in April 2023.

Kaleemullah went on to complete his entire quota in his first spell itself, finishing with figures of 10-1-39-1 by the 20th over of the innings.

Watch Kaleemullah take out Ervine’s off stump in the World Cup Qualifier Super Six:

 

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