Unusual Ball Change in PSL Opener: Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Lahore Qalandars
A Unique Incident During the PSL Opener
Lahore [Pakistan], March 27: In a rare occurrence during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) opener, the Hyderabad Kingsmen's white ball transformed into a maroon hue due to color transfer from their pads. This unusual situation arose while they were competing against the Lahore Qalandars.
On Thursday, while donning maroon uniforms, the Kingsmen were tasked with chasing down a target of 100 runs. The color change became apparent during the 15th over, making it challenging for the batters to accurately judge the deliveries. Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne, an Australian cricket star, raised concerns about the ball's condition as early as the second over, with the maroon tint noticeable to those in the press box by the end of the powerplay.
Despite the oddity, the match continued until the 15th over when the ball was finally replaced.
Labuschagne commented post-match, saying, 'I mentioned to the umpires after the second over, 'What’s going on? The ball is all red.' It seems to have picked up color from our clothing or something similar. I’ve never encountered anything like this before, but I have seen balls change color from paint or bat residue. I’m confident we’ll resolve this before our next match on Sunday.'
The Kingsmen's captain also noted that the umpires had no issues with the team continuing to wear the same kit throughout the tournament. According to reports, Lahore Qalandars pacer Haris Rauf speculated that the ball might have absorbed color from the stadium seats, which featured a green and white design.
After the match, Rauf expressed uncertainty about who initiated the ball change, stating, 'We can’t determine if it was due to the kit. It could have been from the seats, as the ball was hit 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 to bat, I would have requested a change on the first ball.'
Following the match, the Kingsmen congratulated their opponents for achieving victory in their inaugural pink-ball game.
The Lahore Qalandars opted to bat first, with notable contributions 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 their team 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, making 26 runs off 22 balls. Rauf (2/22), Raza (2/27), Mustafizur Rahman (1/19), and Shaheen Shah Afridi (1/28) were the leading bowlers for Lahore.