Pakistan opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez was givenout by the rarely used rule of obstructing the field in a one-day internationalagainst South Africa on Thursday.
Hafeez's body blocked a throw by South Africa wicketkeeperAB de Villiers as the batsman ran to the non-striker's end in the fourth ODI atKingsmead. Hafeez was judged to have changed the course of his run to prevent arun out and was given out according to a rule introduced by the International CricketCouncil in 2011.
Hafeez, yet to score, angrily ripped off his gloves when thedecision was made by TV umpire Billy Bowden after an appeal by the SouthAfricans.
Previously, batsmen were allowed to change their course asthey ran between ends to put themselves between a throw and the stumps, butthat was outlawed two years ago.
The opener was the first batsman in international cricket tobe dismissed under the new rule, the espncricinfo website said, and just thefifth in the history of test and one-day internationals to be given out underthe general obstructing the field law.
England's Len Hutton was out obstructing the field during atest against South Africa in 1951, still the only test cricketer to bedismissed in that way.
Two other Pakistan players, Rameez Raja andInzamam-ul-Haq, and India's Mohinder Amarnath are the only other players to gofor obstructing the field in ODIs. The last before Hafeez on Thursday wasInzamam in 2006 when he used his bat to block a throw from India fielder SureshRaina while standing out of his crease.