Hyderabad Kingsmen's Unusual Ball Change in PSL Opener Against Lahore Qalandars
Strange Incident with the Ball
In a peculiar turn of events during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) opener, the Hyderabad Kingsmen's kit caused the white ball to become discolored, turning it a maroon hue. This occurred while they faced off against the Lahore Qalandars.
Reactions from Players on the Discolored Ball
On Thursday, while chasing a target of 100 runs, the Kingsmen noticed the ball had changed color during the 15th over due to the dye from their maroon uniforms. This made it challenging for the batters to accurately judge the deliveries. Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne raised the issue with the umpires in the second over, and the maroon tint was evident to those in the press box by the end of the powerplay. Despite the unusual situation, the game continued until the ball was finally replaced in the 15th over.
"I mentioned to the umpires after the second over, 'What's happening? The ball is all red,'" Labuschagne stated post-match, as reported by a sports news outlet. "It must be from the clothing or something similar. I've never encountered anything like this before, but I have seen the ball change color from paint or other sources. I'm confident we will resolve this before our next match on Sunday," he added. The captain also confirmed that the umpires had no issues with the team wearing the same kit for the remainder of the tournament.
Possible Explanations for the Color Change
According to a report, Lahore Qalandars' pacer Haris Rauf speculated that the ball might have absorbed color from the seats in the stands, which featured a green and white design. After the match, Rauf commented, "I’m not sure who requested the ball change. We can't determine if it was due to the kit. It could have been from the seats, as the ball went out of the ground several times. As long as the batters could see the ball clearly, they continued to play. They might have changed it when it became hard to see. If I had gone in to bat, I would have asked for a change on the first ball," he remarked.
Match Outcome
Following the match, the Kingsmen congratulated the Lahore Qalandars on their victory in their first pink-ball game. The Qalandars chose to bat first, with notable performances from Fakhar Zaman (53 runs off 39 balls, including 10 fours), Haseebullah Khan (40 runs off 28 balls, with three fours and a six), and Sikandar Raza (24 runs off 10 balls, featuring two fours and two sixes), leading them to a total of 199/6 in 20 overs. For the Kingsmen, Hassan Khan (2/30) and Riley Meredith (2/39) were the standout bowlers.
In their chase, the Kingsmen were bowled out for 130 runs in 20 overs, with Labuschagne being the top scorer with 26 runs off 22 balls. Rauf (2/22), Raza (2/27), Mustafizur Rahman (1/19), and Shaheen Shah Afridi (1/28) excelled with the ball.