In a rare and surprising decision during the Big Bash League (BBL), wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan was retired out by his own captain for slow batting.
The incident occurred during the 33rd match of the 15th edition of the BBL on Monday, when Melbourne Renegades faced Sydney Thunder. Rizwan was at the crease, having scored 26 runs off 23 balls, when Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland instructed him to leave the field, allowing another batsman to take strike.
A video shared on the BBL’s official social media shows the captain signaling Rizwan to retire, which commentators noted could have been handled differently. The clip quickly went viral and sparked a strong reaction from cricket fans, many of whom described the move as inappropriate and embarrassing for the Pakistan wicketkeeper.
Rizwan has struggled for rhythm in the ongoing BBL season, scoring 167 runs in eight matches at an average of 20.88 without registering a fifty.
In the same match, Sydney Thunder secured victory over Melbourne Renegades by four wickets under the DLS method.