Saud Shakeel timed out for 'falling asleep' during President's Trophy final

In a rare and unexpected dismissal, Pakistan cricketer Saud Shakeel was timed out during the President's Trophy final between State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Pakistan Television (PTV) in Rawalpindi.

Shakeel became the first Pakistani cricketer, and the seventh overall in first-class cricket history, to be dismissed in this unusual manner.

Shakeel was scheduled to bat fifth for SBP during the Grade 1 First-Class event against PTV. However, after a series of wickets fell, he failed to make it to the crease within the three-minute time limit set by the rules. As a result, Amad Butt, the PTV team leader, promptly appealed for a "timed out" dismissal, which the umpires upheld, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo.

Reports suggest that Shakeel fell asleep and missed his opportunity to bat within the required time. This lapse led to Shakeel becoming the seventh player in first-class history to be timed out and the first-ever Pakistani cricketer to face this fate.

The dismissal came at a crucial point in the game, as SBP was already in a precarious position. Mohammad Shahzad had earlier removed captain Umar Amin and Fawad Alam in consecutive deliveries, leaving SBP in a difficult spot after an initial score of 128-1.

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When Shakeel failed to arrive on time, PTV capitalized on the situation by successfully appealing for the "timed out" dismissal, further exacerbating SBP’s difficulties.

According to MCC rule 40.1.1, the incoming batsman must be ready to face the ball within three minutes (180 seconds) after the previous batsman is out or retired hurt. If the batsman fails to do so, they are declared out by the umpires as "timed out."

If the incoming batter does not reach the crease or is not ready at their partner's end within the stipulated time, the fielding team can appeal for a "timed out" dismissal. If the appeal is successful, the batsman is ruled out.

The last instance of a timed-out dismissal came during the 2023 ICC World Cup when Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was dismissed in this manner due to a helmet malfunction, after Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan made a similar appeal.