Australian cricketer Tom O’Connell, on Tuesday, was dismissed twice in the same match. Playing for Chittagong Kings on the inaugural day of the 2024/25 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) against Khulna Tigers at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, O’Connell was timed out, then called back, only to be dismissed in the very first ball he faced, leading commentators to exclaim, the “worst golden duck in history”.
The Tigers’ bowling attack inflicted a collapse in the powerplay as the Kings lost five wickets in the opening 6.1 overs. O’Connell walked in at No. 7, after the dismissal of Haider Ali, but took considerable time to get to the crease.
“No one expected such a flurry of wickets to fall,” said the commentator.
As the Aussie scampered through the ground, the umpires were spotted chatting with Khulna Tigers captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who at one point even lifted the umpire’s watch. The umpire then walked up to O’Connell and told him that he was timed out, before raising the finger.
According to 40.1 of the Laws of Cricket, “after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”
‘The worst golden duck in history’
Miraz, who was part of the Shakib Al Hasan-led Bangladesh team that had appealed for a time-out of Angelo Mathews at the 2023 World Cup, however, retracted his appeal quickly. He quickly had a word with the umpire, before O’Connell as commentators hailed the Bangladesh cricketer for upholding the spirit of the game.
But the worst was yet to happen for the 24-year-old overseas batter. In the first ball he faced, O’Connell smashed the delivery from Mohammad Nawaz straight to Mehidy for a catch.
Earlier, Khulna Tigers had set a target of 204 runs in 20 overs where Bosisto smashed an unbeaten 75 off 50, laced with eight boundaries and three sixes, while No. 6, Mahidul Islam Ankon, scored 59 not out off 22 balls, comprising six maximums. In reply, Chittagong Kings were folded for just 166 runs in 18.5 overs as they lost by 37 runs.
