Misbah, Bell, Sehwag: After Azhar Ali’s comic dismissal, a look at cricket’s most bizarre run outs

When Azhar Ali was run out in the second Test against Australia on Thursday, he just continued what is a long and amusing legacy. A bizarre, comical run out is not new to Pakistan cricket. In fact, former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq might even be the poster boy of bizarre run outs.

But in the last few years, cricket some very strange run outs as well, some of them hilarious, some other not so much. Not every wicketkeeper has MS Dhoni’s superpower of breaking the stumps without a glance, but some other have been smart, or shrewd, to run out batters who have been caught short. In some cases, the batter have actually made it easy.

From being run out while congratulating your partner on his century to being caught short because you thought it was tea, and genuine comedy of errors, here’s a quick look at some of the strangest run outs in international cricket in the last few years.

Misbah-ul-Haq

The year was 2007, when India had beaten Pakistan to win the first World T20, when India and Pakistan still played Test cricket and when Misbah-ul-Haq was a relative newcomer. In the first Test of the series in New Delhi, Anil Kumble, on his captaincy debut, had run through the Pakistan line up before Misbah, playing only his eighth test, scored his maiden test fifty.

But batting on 82, he was dismissed in what looked like an unfortunate, but still funny, circumstance.

He played the ball towards Dinesh Karthik at point and went for the single and has almost reached the non-striker’s end. All he had to do was ground his bat, but instead he watched the throw come and for some strange reason, jumped to avoid the ball. Suspended above the ground, he made space for the ball which promptly hit the stumps just as his feet were in the air and gave away his wicket after a superb innings.

He was rightly annoyed with himself and in a later interview even said that the moment still haunted him. But maybe not as much as his dismissal in the World T20 final – remember that scoop?

Alastair Cook fell victim to a similar run out in the 2012 Kolkata Test against India, distraught after making way for the ball to crash into his stumps while batting on 190!

Virender Sehwag

For all his flamboyant batting, we all know that Virender Sehwag was no sharp runner between the wickets. In fact, he could often be careless. But even with India on the receiving end, his run out against Sri Lanka in an ODI in 2007 is comedy gold.

India were chasing 260 in 47 overs, India won the match by seven wickets (this was pre-T20 days, this was a good chase.) But it was little thanks to opener Sehwag who had struck a good 46 off 44 before giving away his wicket.

Batting with Sourav Ganguly on the other end, he ambled inches away from the crease, confident that he was in. Even as his partner called out to him, he was in his own daze at the non-striker’s end. With his back to the ball missed the throw that came in from keeper Kumar Sangakarra and was caught napping by the third umpire.

In hindsight, this looks funny but imagine literal sleepwalking while batting like that in today’s times of desperate dives and quick singles.

Ian Bell

This is one strange run out many Indian fans will be well acquainted with, and was hotly debated around many office rooms when it happened in 2011. In many ways, it was similar to Azahr Ali’s brain fade on Thursday, but being in England, raised questions about “Spirit of Cricket.”

During the doomed Test tour of England, which India ended up losing 0-4, then captain MS Dhoni gave proof his sportsmanship even as England’s Ian Bell gave proof of his naivety. Batting on a well-made 137, Bell was run out on the last ball before tea. His partner Eoin Morgan has just sent a ball the boundary... or so everyone believed. But the ball had stopped short and was collected by Praveen Kumar who threw it back.

Bell and Morgan, who assumed that tea has been called as the ball, beyond the boundary ropes, was dead, started walking back. But the over was not yet called and the bails were removed.

After a long discussion between on-field umpires and the third umpire Billy Bowden, Bell was given out. But during the tea break, there were further discussions between England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower and their India counterparts Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher which resulted in the appeal being withdrawn and Bell continuing his innings. He was soon dismissed on 159, but not raising questions on spirit and laws of the game.

Muttiah Muralitharan

This controversial run out was another one that caused a storm about sporting spirit in cricketing circles.

On the third day of the first Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 2006, Muralitharan was run out after a single that brought up Kumar Sangakkara’s century. And all because he moved out of his crease – after grounding his bat – to congratulate his batting partner.

Brendon McCullum was quick to whip the bails because the ball was still alive and his captain Stephen Flemming had defended him in face of criticism. Murali’s wicket ended the Sri Lankan second innings at 170 giving New Zealand a 119-run target which they easily chased. This wasn’t the first time McCullum was involved in such a dismissal, he had done it in 2005 against Zimbabwe as well.

Incidentally, McCullum, who later became the flag bearer for sportsmanship in the way he captained New Zealand, apologised to former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara and spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan during his 2016 MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture.

Mohammad Amir

A Pakistan player started this list, a Pakistan player will end it. During the 2016 Test against West Indies, Amir was involved in a run out that went viral for just how peculiar it was.

Many batters, from Azhar Ali to Alvin Kallicharran to Rodney Hogg to the ones mentioned in this list have been given out after assuming the ball dead and indulging in other activities. But very few tried to rectify the error like Amir did against the West Indies.

Here’s how the comedy of errors played out.

First Amir hit Devendra Bishoo towards long-on for what he thought was a six as he kept his admired the arc of the shot. Then he went down the pitch to chat with his partner Wahab Riaz, both walking casually. Meanwhile, Roston Chase put in a solid effort to save the boundary and then throw the ball back to the pitch. Amir, seeing this activity, was jolted back and began a mad dash to safety at the non-striker’s end… only to lose his bat in the scampering run!

If only they had used the time between overs to discuss whatever it was that was more important that running between the wickets.

Bonus viewing: Inzaman-ul-Haq

We couldn’t pick one Inzy run out to add to this list, so here is a video that details his best moments.

And here’s some in domestic cricket