England's Test skipper Joe Root, along with his Yorkshire teammates, showcased a terrific moment of sportsmanship when they decided not to inflict a run out on Lancashire batsman Steven Croft during their T20 Blast encounter. The batsman, while running for a quick single, injured his leg while running and fell in the pitch. Noticing Croft in pain, Root instructed his teammates to run him out.
The moment arrived during the 18th over Lanchashire's run chase when striker Luke Wells bunted the ball towards mid-off and took off for a quick single. Croft showed slight hesitation before pulling up short. He was attended to immediately by Root and Co. before the physios rushed out.
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There were split views about the incident in the commentary box. While Rob Key supported Root's decision, former England cricketer Mark Butcher termed the "whole thing completely bizarre".
{{/usCountry}}There were split views about the incident in the commentary box. While Rob Key supported Root's decision, former England cricketer Mark Butcher termed the "whole thing completely bizarre".
{{/usCountry}}The Lancashire batsman praised the opponent team saying, “They could have taken the bails off and credit to them that they didn’t.”
Later, Root quipped that it was "very difficult decision under pressure". "(Croft’s injury) looked very serious at first glance. In many ways it was a relief it was nothing serious. I am sure there will be many different opinions. Many people would have handled it differently," said Root.
At the time of the incident, Lancashire needed 17 runs to win from 18 balls with five wickets to spare. Eventually, they chased down the target of 129 with n over to spare, with Croft returning unbeaten on 26.