ICC World Cup 2023: The Pakistan vs Netherlands clash raised questions over the laws of MCC when a boundary cushion was seen pushed back from its original position. Pakistan took on the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad and outclassed them by 81 runs to start their World Cup campaign on a high note. The match witnessed some fascinating moments and the Dutch tried bagging some of them but fell well short in the end.
However, more than just the match, there was another incident which caught the attention of the audience. In a controversial moment in the game, the mid-wicket boundary rope was seen pushed back from the original position. Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman was seen standing at the ropes as seen in the viral picture on social media. The ropes were pushed back for around 30 minutes in the second innings when Netherlands were batting
What do MCC rules say?
The incident sparked questions of MCC laws on the boundary rules. The incident first came to notice on the fifth ball of the 21st over in the second innings. The boundary cushions were not on the original white line and were a foot behind for 30 minutes. As per the rules, if an object (boundary cushion here) is disturbed Clause 19.3.2 states, “The object shall be returned to its original position as soon as is practicable; if play is taking place, this shall be as soon as the ball is dead.”
However, even after the cushions were out of place near the mid-point of the chase, they were not replaced back after nearly 30 minutes.
