Whether it be breaking a long-lasting partnership with some witty tactics or uprooting the stumps of the tailenders with some fierce fast bowling, the fielding side’s euphoria while celebrating a wicket in cricket knows no bounds. In the past, things have got so out of hand that players ended up injuring themselves.
On that note, here are five cricket celebrations that led to injuries.
#5 Hasan Ali – Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe 2018, 2nd ODI
When it comes to epic celebrations and injuries, Hassan Ali is the first player who comes to everyone’s mind. The man with the big heart strained his neck muscles not once but multiple times while attempting his signature bomb explosion celebration.
Stooping low to converge his hands forward and then pulling the shoulders back rapidly, Hassan Ali’s celebration backfired for the first time after disturbing Ryan Murray’s stumps. Grimacing in pain, the Pakistani speedster held his neck immediately and sat down on the pitch to cool himself down.
Although Pakistan went on to win the encounter by 9 wickets, the viewers will always remember the match for Hassan Ali’s celebration going wrong. The situation was no different in the 2020 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament when the right arm medium fast bowler injured his neck while playing for Central Punjab against Sindh.
However, Hassan takes his injury sportingly by hanging a chain around his neck that depicts his celebration style to shrug off the haters.
#4 Mushfiqur Rahim – Bangladesh tour of South Africa 2022, 3rd ODI
Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa was one of the last series to take place before IPL halted mainstream international cricket momentarily in 2022. Swinging the ball low and towards the middle stump, Kagiso Rabada edged Taskin Ahmed’s delivery towards Mushfiqur Rahim behind the wickets, who made no error in completing the catch.
The diminutive wicketkeeper continued to roll along in his follow-through celebration and flung the ball high in the air after rising up. However, Mushfiqur hurt his throwing arm in the process as teammate Yasir Ali nursed him.
The good news for Mushfiqur is that fans would have most likely forgotten the embarrassing celebration as Bangladesh scripted history that day by winning their first-ever ODI series on South African soil.
#3 Brad Haddin – Australia tour of India 2013, 1st ODI
Brad Haddin gets poked in the eye by James Faulkner
Known today for his bold takes, Brad Haddin became the butt of jokes momentarily nine years earlier when he injured himself in Australia’s victory over India at Pune. Enticing Shikhar Dhawan for an edge and caught behind, Haddin responded well to James Faulkner’s delivery to dismiss the left-handed opener in single digits.
However, when he came forward to high-five his teammate, Haddin found himself out of sync as Faulkner poked him in the eye. All the Australian players gathered around to support Haddin before the teams resumed play.
#2 Katherine Brunt – Women’s Ashes 2019, 2nd ODI
Katherine Brunt clean bowled Meg Lanning in the 13th over but suffered a freak injury during her celebration. Outfoxing Lanning with a slower delivery, the all-rounder twisted her ankle in jubilation while leaping in the air.
The physio had to come out in the middle and stretchered her back to the pavilion. Although Brunt returned back to the field to bowl three more overs, her effort went in vain as Australia won that match comfortably.
#1 Olly Stone – Northamptonshire vs Worcestershire, 2016 T20 Blast
Olly Stone down injured after his celebration goes wrong
While most of the injuries mentioned previously involved the player returning back to the field and not carrying it over to other matches, Olly Stone’s case was different. Playing for Northamptonshire, the fast bowler dismissed English international Moeen Ali in the fourth over and rightfully exclaimed in euphoria.
However, the conventional leap and fist pump celebration ended tragically after Stone landed awkwardly on his knee. He tried to complete the over but had to halt in his run-up, with the support staff helping him out from the field.
CT scans showed that Stone had damaged his ACL and cartilage and was forced to undergo rehabilitation for the entirety of 2017.