The Australian media went berserk when Michael Clarke left the New Zealand tour to sort out problems with former girlfriend Lara Bingle in March. I wonder how the English media will react when former captain and dynamic batsman Kevin Pietersen will walk off the field mid-match during a World Twenty match and fly home if his wife goes in labour for their first child. “As soon as she goes into labour, I’ll be off,” Pietersen is reported to have said.
“No matter where it is in the tournament, I’ll be off – and it’s been cleared with the management [for me] to do that. If I’m in the middle of a match, I’ll obviously get off the field and then I’ll be on the next plane that flies into London Heathrow.”
It will be very interesting to watch how the umpires would react if such a situation arises, says journalist Bipin Dani.
ICC umpire Simon Taufel, 39, reportedly said, “In my personal view, if Kevin’s wife went into labour and he needed to leave, then the umpires would be entitled to allow a substitute fielder (not a replacement player) for him”.
Then he defined the MCC Law 2.1 (b):
The umpires shall have discretion to allow, for other wholly acceptable reasons, to allow a substitute fielder or a runner to act for a nominated player at the start of the match, or at any subsequent time.
And the ICC World T20 Playing Conditions Law 2.1.3 states: Substitute fielders shall only be permitted in cases of injury, illness or other wholly acceptable reasons. Wholly acceptable reasons should be limited to extreme circumstances and should not include what is commonly referred to as a comfort break.
“In the past, I personally was involved in a Test in England where Michael Vaughan was late for the game due to the birth of his child. Steve Bucknor and I allowed a substitute as this sort of circumstance we deemed as a wholly acceptable reason”, explained Taufel, the ICC’s Elite Panel umpires, who won five consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards between 2004 and 2008.
“I don’t wish to speculate on what might or might not happen”, the ICC media official James Fitzgerald said. “In general terms, if England wishes to replace a player for the tournament they can seek permission to do so from the event technical committee”.
There have been few instances for England cricketers leaving the team to attend to the birth of their child.
As mentioned, Vaughan left the field at Headingley when he was captain to dash to Sheffield. Also Matt Prior went home from Barbados last year during England’s tour and missed a Test to see his new baby before returning.
However, Andrew Flintoff missed the birth of one of his children while he was captain on tour in India and stayed with the team for the duration of the trip.
With international cricket being played around the globe twelve months a year, WBW (wife before wicket) may become almost as common as LBW.
Should WBW be allowed? Well, why not. But certainly not during the course of a match. For Pete’s sake Pietersen, a Twenty20 match lasts less than three hours.
What do you think, Roarers?
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Brett McKay said | May 4th 2010 @ 8:04am | Report comment
Kersi, I was happy to let him go right until I read your penultimate paragraph, in which you raise a very valid point about T20 games only lasting 3 hours and changed my mind for me. And I’d be surprised if he just walked off while he was batting anyway.
And another thing, is the England trainer going to run straight out onto the ground as soon as they get word from the hospital?!? And it takes how long to fly from the Caribbean to Heathrow?? Does Kev really expect his wife to hold on until he arrives?!?!
It’s made a discussion topic, that’s for sure, but I don’t think you’ve thought about the logistics real well, Kev….
sheek said | May 4th 2010 @ 11:35am | Report comment
HI KERSI,
I guess this is the world we live in today. We’ve made wives & girlfriends an integral part of the cricketing fabric, which is fine up to a point. Now the delivery of babies has also become paramount.
Also, & I say this cheekily, there aren’t that many R-E-A-L-L-Y important matches among the multitude of fodder presented before us, so we can be lenient on players dipping out whenever…..
The media is making it’s money from content, the game’s power brokers are making their money, players & sponsors are making their money also. Quality isn’t important anymore, it’s content, content, content. Otherwise known as quantity.
Rabbitz said | May 4th 2010 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
Possibly it also shows that “player power” or a lack of pressure to retain a spot is at work. Could it be that these players are in fact showing hubris, in that they believe they can disappear suddenly and not have to fight to get back in the team?
Would we be better to structure the selection process where no-one has tenure and if you don’t perform you get punted, and if you “just slip out for a while” and your replacement does the job, you don’t get straight back in? That is to say you have to earn the right to be in the National team, for each match or tour.
Oh thats right, old boys network and all that, how silly of me….
vinay verma said | May 4th 2010 @ 4:53pm | Report comment
Kersi, Adam Voges pulled out of the SAF tour in 2009 as it clashed with his wedding. It showed here was a man prepared to risk a career for a woman. I think this shows a man who would make a good team mate as he would honour his commitments. I would certainly put my family ahead of anything.
sport gives opportunities in many ways. Breaking a leg is the most common piece of “good” fortune that comes someones’ way. I suppose there have been instances of wars,famines and deaths helping someone’s career. Life plays many tricks on us unsuspecting mortals.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | May 4th 2010 @ 6:08pm | Report comment
Like him or not, South Africa’s eccentric quickie Andre Nel pushed back his wedding by two hours after getting selected to represent his country in 2004.
Nel and his then fiancee Deanne Weitz had set their wedding day 10 months in advance. But it turned out to be the afternoon of the second day of the fourth Test against the West Indies in Centurion. He made it to the altar just in time, an hour after stumps that evening.
He returned to the field the next morning and twice dismissed the great Brian Lara and his country won by 10 wickets and the series 4-0.
“Getting married is a special feeling, a bit like getting your first 5 wickets in an innings”, he later said. “But getting Lara twice in a day is also a special feeling.”