Five Instances when cricketers missed matches due to strange reasons
A lot of external things can have the ability to trouble cricket starting from weather conditions to an invasion on the ground. Not just the playing field but also the players who take the field amidst many uncertainties. Injuries, fitness issues, playing form and personal issues do come in the way of players. Alongside these, a lot of other factors do come in the way of players’ availability though few reasons might look silly but they do matter a lot in this gentlemen’s game.
Here are five strange reasons which led to the absence of certain players in International cricket:
5. Homework:
Australia toured India for a 4-match Test series ahead of the IPL but were 0-2 down after two Tests. To retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Aussies needed to win the last two Tests. Shane Watson missed the 3rd Test due to the birth of his child but was among four players who were suspended by the coach himself. Mickey Arthur asked the entire squad for suggestions to improve. But Watson, Usman Khawaja, James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson failed to complete the task assigned by their coach.
4. Missing kits:
Haha. Aaron Finch is not playing todays match of IPL because his kit bag is missing
— Muneeb?? (@IamMuneebLali) April 16, 2017
Aaron Finch’s best stint in the IPL was with Gujarat Lions but had to miss a game for them due to his kit bags gone missing. The GL team arrived in Mumbai from Rajkot to face the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium but Finch’s kit never reached. The Australian couldn’t borrow equipment from his teammates due to sponsor issues leaving him to the bench and Jason Roy taking his place.
3. Injured by own car:
England cricketer Ted Dexter made himself unavailable for the 1964-65 tour of South Africa as he contested in the 1964 General Election for the Conservative Party. After losing the elections, he was set to tour Australia for the 1965-66 Ashes series. However, just before the tour, Dexter broke his leg while pushing his Jaguar car to a safe place after it ran out of petrol. The injury ruled the all-rounder out of the Australian tour.
2. Got Kidnapped:
Australian cricketer Billy Midwinter became the first overseas player in County Cricket. He accepted an invitation from WG Grace in 1877 to play for Gloucestershire, the county in which Midwinter was born. In 1878, Midwinter was in England along with the touring Australia squad. A day after his 27th birthday, Australia faced Middlesex at the Lord’s but at the same time, Gloucestershire were slated to play Surrey at the Oval.
Billy Midwinter chose to play at the Lord’s which didn’t go well with WG Grace who decided to kidnap their teammate. Grace, alongside two more Gloucestershire players, gatecrashed at Lord’s in a Taxi and took Midwinter away despite the opposing from the Australians. The all-rounder ended up playing for Gloucestershire only and was made to miss the game for his national team.
1. Fishing:
Bangladesh toured Australia in 2008 where they faced the hosts in a 3-match ODI series in Darwin. Prior to the first match, Andrew Symonds decided to go for fishing thinking it was a rest day. However, the Australians had a team meeting around the same time and Symonds failed to attend. This angered the Australian management and the board who banned the all-rounder and sent him back home.
