‘The game’s gone’: England U19 batsman given out for handing ball to wicketkeeper

Steve Harmison said “the game’s gone” after an England player was controversially given out obstructing the field during the U19 World Cup.

Hamza Shaikh, England’s No 4 batsman, was given out for one against Zimbabwe after he picked up a stationary ball and threw it gently to Ryan Kamwemba, saving the Zimbabwean wicketkeeper from collecting the ball himself. Kamwemba then appealed for Shaikh to be out obstructing the field, and the batsman was given out in Potchefstroom (watch video below).

“If you are getting given out for that, that’s it, the game’s gone,” said Harmison, the former England fast bowler, who is now a commentator for TalkSport. “It really has. How can an umpire give that out?”

A clause in law 37 of the Laws of the Game outlines how a player can be out obstructing the field. It reads: “Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he/she uses the bat or any part of his/her person to return the ball to any fielder.”

By this reading of the laws, Shaikh was given out, even though the batsman appeared to be trying to help Kamwemba by throwing him the ball.

After his dismissal, England recovered to 237-7 from their 50 overs, Essex’s Charlie Allison top scoring with 76. They then dismissed Zimbabwe for 91, with Warwickshire’s Tazeem Chaudry Ali taking seven for 29, to win by 146 runs.

The Super Six World Cup match was dead, with both England and Zimbabwe already eliminated ahead of the semi-final stage, following defeats to West Indies and Australia. In the last edition of the tournament, in 2022, Rehan Ahmed helped England reach the final, where they lost to India.

Shaikh, who is 17, made his domestic one-day debut for Warwickshire in 2022 and averages 25.4 in nine games for his county. Earlier in the World Cup, he scored 54 against West Indies.