Stats: List of players dismissed 'obstructing the field' in ODIs

Mohammad Hafeez became the 3rd Pakistani and the 4th batsman overall to be given out ‘obstructing the field’ in ODIs.

Obstructing the field is one of the rarest methods of dismissal in cricket. So far, in Test cricket, only Len Hutton has been out in this mode, against South Africa at Oval in 1951.

In One Day Internationals, there have been a total of four occasions when batsmen have been ruled out obstructing the field.Three of those batsmen have have been from Pakistan, including Mohammed Hafeez, the new entrant in the list in the ongoing fourth One Day International against South Africa at Durban. He is the first man to be given out obstructing the field after the new playing conditions were introduced.

The new playing conditions for obstructing the field are as follows:

“On appeal from the fielding team, if the umpire feels that a batsman, whilst running between the wickets, has significantly changed his direction without probable cause, thereby obstructing a fielder’s attempt to run him out, the batsman should be given out obstructing the field. It shall not be relevant whether a run-out would have been affected or not. It is still possible for a batsman to be given out obstructing the field in circumstances where he has not significantly changed his direction of running provided that the umpire feels that by some other actions it is clear that the batsman had intended to obstruct the field.”

The other three instances were based on Law 37 which states that: “Batsman is out obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action. It shall be regarded as obstruction if either batsman wilfully, and without the consent of the fielding side, strikes the ball with his bat or person, other than a hand not holding the bat, after the ball has touched a field.”

Here is a list of players dismissed while obstructing the field in One Day Internationals:

UPDATE: Anwar Ali became the fifth player to be dismissed for ‘Obstructing the Field’ on Wednesday when Pakistan were playing South Africa in the second One-Day International at Port Elizabeth.

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