In cricket, the role of 12th man sometimes has become pivotal when a member from the playing XI got injured. But, what will happen if the 12th man also failed to come on the field or if another player got injured for the fielding team. There have been occasions when a support staffs or non-members of a team came to field to fulfill the basic of criteria of eleven fielders at the cricket ground.
Let’s look at five instances
Team masseur goes fielding for Australia
The incident has happened during the historic day-night Test at Adelaide Oval between Australia and New Zealand. As Mitchell received an injury team masseur Grant Baldwin, was forced to come on the field. This is the first ever incident where team masseur came to field in an international match.
Physio Adrian Le Roux forced to show his fielding skills
Many South African players were facing injury scare in 2005-06 Australia tour. During one of the tour games at Perth, spinner Nicky Boje was forced to leave the field due to an injury to his hand. South Africa did not find a substitute as other players were injured. The team management sent physio Adrian Le Roux to substitute for Boje on the field. It was not a memorable putting for poor Le Roux as he dropped a regular catch offered by opposition skipper Justin Langer.
India’s Mandeep Singh dons South African jersey in a 50 over match
In 2015 during a tri-series in Chennai India A player Mandeep Singh had to turn out for South Africa A as most of the South African players had been suffering from stomach cramp. The video analyst for the South African team Haikus Coertzen was already in the field. So, one of the players got sick during play, South Africa were shot of fielders India A, coached by Rahul Dravid, decided to help them out and Mandeep was sent out to do fielding duties for Proteas A – side sporting their jersey.
Billy Murdoch dismisses his own teammate
One of the Australian captains of victorian era, Billy Murdoch, once came to field as a substitute for opponent team England in a Test match and even picked up a catch for them. Murdoch was the skipper of the Australian team which toured England in the year 1884. In the Test one of the English players was injured during the Aussie first innings and Billy came on as a substitute fielder.
Australian batsman Tup Scott was batting on 75 when he was dismissed courtesy of a catch taken by his own captain. It was the first catch taken by a substitute in Test cricket, but unfortunately for Billy Murdoch, it was against his own team.
A little Indian boy fielded for Pakistan who later become legend
A 13-year-old Indian boy once came to field for touring Pakistan side for an exhibition game in Mumbai. It was 40 overs a side match between India and Pakistan to commemorate the golden jubilee year of the Cricket Club of India.
Pakistan skipper Imran Khan requested for a few substitutes as they falling short of players to field. CCI captain Hemant Kenkre provided him a teenager called Sachin Tendulkar, who was a popular name in Mumbai cricket circuit. The future of Indian cricket fielded for 25 minutes towards the end of the game.
No one imagined that this little boy one day would make his debut against Pakistan and become the greatest 21st-century batsman.