Five instances when a team refused to take the field in Test matches

Five instances when a team refused to take the field in Test matches originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

PCB reportedly threatened to pull Pakistan off the field at Lord's over Sky Sports airing Imran Khan's sons' interview.

Cricket history has seen multiple standoffs, including the only official forfeiture at The Oval in 2006 involving Pakistan.

Similar walk-offs have occurred over ball-tampering rows, umpiring disputes, and political tensions across decades of Test cricket.

Pakistan threaten to boycott Lord's test over Sky Sports interview with Imran Khan's sons: Full controversy explained

The Pakistan Cricket Board reportedly threatened to boycott the ongoing Lord's Test against England.

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According to Cricinfo, the PCB lodged a formal complaint with broadcaster Sky Sports and considered pulling its players off the field.

The dispute broke out after Sky Sports aired a pre-recorded interview conducted by former England captain Mike Atherton with Kasim and Sulaiman Khan, the sons of jailed former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan. Filmed at the venue on the eve of the match, the segment saw the brothers voice serious concerns about their father's declining health and worsening eyesight.

MORE: Imran's sons' interview courts controversy: PCB complains with Sky

PCB objected strongly to political content being woven into live match coverage and reportedly warned it might keep its team in the dressing room for the afternoon session if the interview aired as planned. Sky ultimately delayed the segment, airing it during the lunch break instead.

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PCB still filed its formal complaint but stepped back from the threatened boycott, and Pakistan returned to the field for the afternoon session as scheduled. The ECB was informed of the complaint, and reports suggest the interview never aired on Pakistan's own broadcaster for the series.

Imran Khan, now 73, has remained in custody since August 2023 following his arrest over corruption charges. He has been convicted in one case and is serving a 14-year sentence. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the charges against him are politically driven. He continues to be held at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, having now spent more than three years behind bars.

MORE: Root's weakness exposed? Lord's dismissal vs PAK highlights concerning pattern

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Five instances when a team refused to take the field in Test Cricket history

Pakistan vs India, Bangalore 1983: Zaheer Abbas leaves Sunil Gavaskar stranded

On a dead final day of a rain-hit Test, Sunil Gavaskar was pushing toward his 28th century despite battling bronchitis. Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas, believing his side had already bowled enough overs, argued with umpires Swaroop Kishen and Madhav Gothoskar about ending play early.

When the officials insisted on completing the mandatory 20 overs in the final hour, Zaheer led his team off the field with six overs remaining, leaving Gavaskar stranded on 86. However, the Indian refused to leave the pitch himself.

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Pakistan were threatened with a possible forfeiture, and they finally returned after a 27-minute delay. Gavaskar completed his century off Mudassar Nazar in the final over, after which Zaheer promptly walked his side off again to seal the draw.

Pakistan vs England, The Oval 2006: Cricket's only official forfeiture

On Day 4, umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove suspected Pakistan of ball tampering and penalised them five runs. They even went on to change the ball without consulting captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Feeling wrongly accused of cheating, Inzamam's side refused to return to the field after tea in silent protest. The umpires eventually removed the bails and awarded the match to England by forfeiture under Law 21.

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The fallout triggered a major diplomatic dispute involving PCB, ECB and the ICC, with a later disciplinary hearing clearing Inzamam of tampering charges but banning him four matches for bringing the game into disrepute.

MORE: 'Not mercurial anymore': Nasser Hussain launches scathing attack on Pakistan

Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Gros Islet 2018: The mint-and-ball controversy

Ahead of Day 3, umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould flagged concerns over the ball's condition from the previous evening, and demanded a replacement. They even imposed a five-run penalty on Sri Lanka.

Captain Dinesh Chandimal and coach Chandika Hathurusingha denied any tampering and refused to take the field at the scheduled start, staying in the pavilion for nearly two hours while match referee Javagal Srinath and board officials tried to defuse the situation.

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Sri Lanka eventually agreed to play under protest, but Chandimal was later suspended for a Test after footage showed him applying mint residue to the ball.

England vs Pakistan, Faisalabad 1987: The Gatting-Shakoor Rana clash

Tensions boiled over on Day 2 when umpire Shakoor Rana accused England captain Mike Gatting of unfairly repositioning a fielder mid-delivery. The allegation sparked a heated, finger-pointing confrontation on the pitch.

The following morning, Rana refused to officiate unless Gatting had issued a written apology. Gatting refused on principle, and England stayed in the dressing room, wiping out an entire day's play. With the tour on the brink of collapse and pressure mounting from cricket authorities back in London, Gatting was eventually made to sign a handwritten apology, which allowed play to resume on Day 4.

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West Indies vs New Zealand, Christchurch 1980: Packed bags at Lancaster Park

The 1979-80 tour had already been marred by bitter disputes between Clive Lloyd's West Indies and New Zealand's umpires. This included an earlier incident in Dunedin where Michael Holding kicked down the stumps in frustration.

Things escalated further at Lancaster Park when Colin Croft shoulder-barged umpire Fred Goodall following a string of rejected appeals. By Day 3, the West Indies squad had packed their bags entirely, preparing to abandon the tour and fly home, and refused to emerge from the pavilion once play was due to resume after tea.

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After several rounds of emergency negotiations between team management and New Zealand Cricket Council officials, a full tour cancellation was averted. Lloyd eventually agreed to unpack and lead his team back out after a lengthy delay. The match ended in a draw, handing New Zealand a historic 1-0 series win.

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