OBS Out In Cricket: How Many Batters Have Been Out Handling The Ball In Test Cricket?

Former Bangladeshi captain Mushfiqur Rahim has become the eighth Test cricketer to be given out obstructing the field, i.e., OBS Out in Cricket. Right after convincingly defending a delivery from New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson on the first day of the second Test match, Rahim, for no rhyme or reason, touched the ball with his right hand.

In the general run of things, batters attempt to touch the ball, not with their hands though, in order to prevent it from coming in contact with the stumps to avoid a potential bowled dismissal. Having said that, in this particular case, irrespective of the angle one observes from, the ball was never going to touch the stumps. Therefore, Rahim could’ve easily and literally kept an arm’s length from the ball.

As per MCC’s Law 37.1, “a batter is out if he/she wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action”.

Coming in to bat at No. 5 in the 14th over, a shocked Rahim had to return back to the pavilion in the 41st over after scoring 35 (83). Taking into consideration how Bangladesh had already lost four wickets until then, one expected the 36-year old player to have done better than what he did at the Shere Bangla National Stadium today.

How Many Batters Have Been Out Handling The Ball In Test Cricket?

Readers must note that when the laws of cricket were rewritten in 2017, “Handling the ball”, which Rahim was guilty of, was merged with “Obstructing the Field”. Thus, reducing the mode of dismissals in cricket to 10.

Starting 1957, a total of seven batters before Rahim had been dismissed handling the ball. South Africa’s Russell Endean was the first cricketer to be given out in this fashion.

22 years later in 1979, Australia’s Andrew Hitch was dismissed in a similar way against Pakistan in Perth. Although Australia ended up winning the match, Hitch was out handling the ball in the second innings.

When Australia toured Pakistan three years later, the hosts’ Mohsin Khan followed next in order in Karachi. The very next year, West Indies’ Desmond Haynes had to pay a similar price against India in Mumbai.

England’s Graham Gooch was the first cricketer to be dismissed in this manner both after scoring a hundred and in an Ashes Test. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh was the first cricketer of the 21st century to be out in this way. Much like Waugh, former England captain Michael Vaughan had also lost his wicket like this against India in 2001.