‘Richard Illingworth has made it… he looks tired’: Play held up in AUS vs PAK due to funny reason

Play in the session after lunch in the Australia versus Pakistan second Test at the MCG was held up for a few minutes on Thursday because of a funny reason: third umpire Richard Illingworth had not made his way to his seat.

The second session of the third day of the AUS vs PAK Boxing Day Test was scheduled for a 1.25pm (local time) start. Australia’s David Warner and Steven Smith were in the middle, looking to steady the ship after the hosts had been reduced to 6/2 in the second innings with a slender overall lead of 60 runs.

However, both sets of players and the umpires were informed that there would be a slight delay because Illingworth had not yet returned to his post in the grandstand. Cameras caught the sight of players and both umpires guffawing as they learnt that Illingworth was stuck in the lift of the MCG as he tried to make his way back to his seat in the grandstand.

After a brief phase of uncertainty, fourth umpire Phil Gillespie ran from the boundary into the third umpire’s box so that play could resume.

A wild Richard Illingworth appeared! #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/7Rsqci4whn

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 28, 2023

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Later, the official broadcaster posted visuals of Illingworth making his way into this seat, and even obliging the camera guys with a embarrassed wave. “There he comes. Richard Illingworth has made it. He looks a bit tired. Maybe he had to come up the stairs,” chuckled the commentators.

The former English cricketer has not had pleasant memories at the Melbourne Cricket Ground: he had gone wicketless in the 1992 Cricket World Cup encounter against South Africa at the same venue and later was the last man to be dismissed against Pakistan in the final of the 1992 World Cup as the Imran Khan’s men won the final by 22 runs, handing the Asian nation their first-ever World Cup title.

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