Yorkshire captain Shan Masood found himself in the middle of a controversial incident on Thursday (June 20) during a clash with Lancashire in the ongoing Vitality T20 Blast at Headingley in Leeds. The bizarre incident unfolded in the 15th over when Shan tried to ramp a ball delivered way outside his off-stump onto the leg side.
The southpaw failed to get the timing right and ended up guiding the ball straight onto the grill of his helmet. The ball ricocheted off his grill and went between the wicketkeeper and the fielder at short third. Joe Root who was batting with Shan scampered for a single and reached the striker's end unscathed.
The former England captain urged Shan to complete the run but it was already late as the bowler had dislodged the bails at the other end and Shan was left stranded in the middle of the pitch. Notably, Shan had also trodded on his stumps while trying to play the ball and it was left unnoticed by the Lancashire players.
The delivery turned out to be a no ball and on-field umpire James Middlebrook made the signal while Shan was seen running towards the non-striker's end. Shan was gutted by the mode of the dismissal and tried explaining to the opposition players that the ball had struck his helmet and he was expecting treatment and would not have set off for a run if Root hadn't urged him to do so.
The two on-field umpires Graham Lloyd and Middlebrook converged for a brief discussion and adjudged Masood not out as per law 31.7 which deals with a batter leaving the wicket under a misapprehension.
What does the law 31.7 suggest?
"An umpire shall intervene if satisfied that a batter, not having been given out, has left the wicket under a misapprehension of being out. The umpire intervening shall call and signal Dead ball to prevent any further action by the fielding side and shall recall the batter," says law 31.7.
The on-field umpires concluded that Masood left the crease initially under the misapprehension that he was out by dragging the ball onto his stumps and was totally unaware of the legitimacy of the delivery. Therefore, they adjudged him not out.
Additionally, as per the England Cricket Board's guidance regarding concussion protocols, Masood could not have been given out as he was struck on the helmet before trodding onto his stumps.
"If the ball strikes a player on the head, irrespective of whether they are wearing a helmet, then a dead ball should be called immediately. Either umpire can do this," reads ECB's guidance.
"The dead ball should be called, irrespective of the apparent significance of the force with which the balls strikes the player e.g. even if it is what deemed a 'slight glancing deflection'."
