An injury or bad weather can always stop a cricket match. But how about a cricket match being stopped by animals in a stadium? It might be hard to fathom, but that has happened over time.
From seagulls to snakes, bees, and dogs, there have been funny cricket moments which have been caused by animals, over the course of a cricket match. Today, we will be highlighting 10 such moments when animals went on to win the spotlight during an intense cricket match.
A dog stealing the limelight in an IPL game
Well the richest league in the world, IPL, isn’t untouched by animals in cricket stadiums. The match was being played between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians when a dog stopped the play.
This incident took place during the 2009 season. Mumbai Indians’ batter Shikhar Dhawan and Sachin Tendulkar were batting when the dog entered the playing area. Other than the two MI batters, everybody tried their best to get the dog out of the cricket field.
When Bees Stung the Cricket Field
As a funny cricket moment, we will talk about an ODI game where bees started to enter the cricket field and stopped the gameplay. An innumerable amount of bees swarmed the Johannesburg ground in 2017.
South Africa and Sri Lanka were battling in the 3rd ODI when the bees had other plans. All the cricketers and the umpires had to lay face down until the bees moved out of the way. Everyone on the ground saw the lighter side to it.
Revenge taking bird
As comical as it may sound, birds are common when you play cricket in Australia. One fine case comes forward during the Big Bash League game between Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers.
A short ball was delivered with the batter pulling the delivery. To the surprise of everyone, the ball hit the bird. Although the closer infielder picked up the bird and placed it outside the playing area, the bird had to come back to attack the ball and make for a spectacle.
Pigs for lunch
Well, it is a matter of great fun when we talk about the fact that a pig was allowed to be part of a cricket match. Yes, you heard that right. It was the game between England and Australia when a cricket fan was allowed to enter his pig to the ground.
For animals in cricket stadiums, pigs could make quite an appearance. Later, the news came out that the person stated that the pig would be the lunch of the security guard afterwards. Eddie and Beefy were written on the two sides of the pig. A very strange incident.
Dogs are common
When cricket matches are played in India, the appearance of a dog strolling around is as common as seagulls in Australia. This chaotic incident took place during the India vs. New Zealand ODI match in 2010.
In the second innings of the chase of New Zealand, a dog made a surprise entry. The dog ran around the ground ragged only for the security personnel to spot and take it out.
Monkey business on the ground
Not that it ain’t a saying, but a monkey entering the field of play can be funny cricket moments with ease. The 2015 Test series between India and Sri Lanka saw the entrance of a monkey in the cricket field.
The Test match was being played at Galle when the monkey made the guest appearance. During the 3rd day of the Test match when Srilanka was batting, the monkey entered Galle. Even the umpires couldn’t hold back their laugh.
You might find a duck
It is common for cricketers to score ducks during their cricketing career. But how about you see them on the cricket field? Can be ironical with ease. In 2013, when England and New Zealand were battling it out, a duck made an appearance.
Paradise shelduck species of duck made the star feature during Day 1 of the 1st Test between the two sides. To honor the duck, a mock Twitter account was set up. A social media geeky duck.
Cat helps Pakistan
England was touring Pakistan and playing ODI cricket in UAE in 2015. Pakistan, like a lot of the time, was struggling with the required run rate. Interestingly, they found the 12th man on the ground.
Anwar Ali hit the ball towards the boundary where Chris Woakes was placed. Out of the blue, a cat appeared in front of Woakes and he had to duck for cover. Thankfully, the ball went for six and helped Pakistan with the required rate.
Pant leads the dog
Dogs love cricket and their regular featuring on the cricket field is the prime example of it. It does make funny moments in cricket when dogs run around the ground, with no one able to control it.
Rishabh Pant had the duty of controlling a dog during the Rising Pune Supergiants and Delhi Daredevils match in 2016. Morne Morkel along with Pant tried to evacuate the dog but were unsuccessful. The game was halted all this while.
Zebra visits the Lord’s
It is a cricketer’s dream to be part of the Lord’s ground and not everyone gets this opportunity. But what if we tell you a zebra has been closer to the Mecca of cricket? Yes, it’s a fact. During the 2011 English season, a zebra had visited the Lord’s.
Investec was announced as a title sponsor for the England Cricket Board and it did have a zebra. To make it more relatable, the England captain posed with a zebra at Lords and made a history. A strange one.
