Ball hits Saim Ayub’s cap in outfield but Pakistan not penalized. Here’s why

Listen to Story Pakistan cricketer Saim Ayub showed some impressive pieces of fielding on Day 3 of the third and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In the second ball of the 65th over of the Australian innings, Steve Smith danced down the track to hit Sajid Khan over the covers, but could not time the ball properly.

However, he managed to clear the in field after which Ayub chased the ball down. Ayub put in a slide to stop the ball, but while doing so, the ball hit his cap. Generally, when the ball hits a cap or helmet in the outfield, teams are penalised five runs. But that was not the case for Ayub, who made his Test debut in the game.

It was because the ball made contact with Ayub’s cap accidentally. Had the cap been placed in the outfield before Ayub put in the slide, Pakistan would have been handed five penalty runs. For those asking: It's not a five run penalty for hitting the cap as the contact between ball and hat was accidental, and nor was the cap deliberately left on the field, as helmets tend to be — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) Ayub, in the meantime, avoided a massive injury scare.

While sliding, his left knee got jammed on the ground as a chunk of the mud came off the outfield. Ayub, nevertheless, got up and threw the ball in. Ayub hasn’t had the best of debuts thus far at the SCG. In the first innings, he bagged a duck after Josh Hazlewood accounted for his wicket. Thereafter, when Australia batted, he in the slip cordon to give David Warner a lifeline, although the latter could not make use of it much.

He also dropped Mitchell Marsh’s catch earlier on Day 3. Earlier, Ayub was roped in as a replacement for Imam ul Haq as Pakistan made two changes going into the Sydney Test. The southpaw will be looking to make amends with the bat when the visitors come out in their second innings..