Peshawar Zalmi left an awkward path of play with ten men during the second PSL 2021 Eliminator against Islamabad United on Tuesday, after their pacer Mohammad Irfan left the field with an injury.
Substitute Haider Ali, sent by Zalmi, was asked to leave the field by the umpires, who apparently not convinced that Irfan was injured, Zalmi was let down by a man.
In the 11th over of the combined innings, Irfan, who was bowling the last over of his spell, got out on his last ball. After a delay, he rose back to complete the over, but fell to the ground again. During the 12th over, Irfan was taken outside the boundary for treatment, Ali came in his place.
However, at the end of the 12th over bowled by Amad Butt, on-field umpire Aleem Dar indicated that Ali should not be allowed to field, leading to another long delay.
After the break in play, even after Irfan was treated, Ali also stepped off the field, meaning Zalmi had to bowl the 14th and 15th overs without Irfan or a substitute fielder.
Finally, at the start of the 16th over, after talks between Dar, Zalmi captain Wahab Riaz and Zalmi's Shoaib Malik, the team was allowed to field another substitute, Khalid Usman.
ESPNcricinfo understands that the delay was because the umpires wanted to be sure that Irfan's injury was genuine, and allowed a replacement when he received confirmation from paramedics on the field.
During the timeout in United's innings, Irfan's teammate Butt suggested that the pacer's injury was merely a case of convulsions.