Yesterday (February 8), something unfortunate happened in the Pakistan vs. New Zealand match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The game was nearing its end. Both teams were still in it. Then in the 38th over of the second innings, Khushdil Shah swept Michael Bracewell towards deep backward square leg. The ball travelled nicely towards Rachin Ravindra. He steadied himself and was getting his hand into place to take an easy catch. But that catch wasn’t taken.
Rachin Ravindra’s shock injury
A second before grabbing the ball, Rachin lost it in the lights. His hands, which should have been in front of his face, were near his chest as he had no idea where the ball was. He was struck flush on his forehead. Blood started pouring out. Everyone was shocked in the field and the stands.
The medical team came rushing. Luckily, Rachin walked into the dressing room himself. The injury wasn’t so bad that he had to be carried off. Later, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) gave a positive update. The southpaw suffered a laceration on his forehead and was doing fine after getting stitched.
A tough moment on the field for Rachin Ravindra as an attempted catch turned into an unfortunate injury.
— FanCode (@FanCode) February 8, 2025
Get well soon, Rachin! pic.twitter.com/34dB108tpF
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Is PCB to blame for Rachin Ravindra getting injured?
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. A blow like that could have been extremely dangerous. Rachin was lucky; he wasn’t hit on his eye. However, things took a turn. Many started claiming soon that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was at fault. Why? Well, because Rachin couldn’t see the ball due to the newly installed floodlights.
For the unaware, the PCB had renovated the Gaddafi Stadium recently, and new LED lights were installed before the ICC Champions Trophy in Lahore. This was the first match after these upgrades, and an unfortunate incident happened straightaway. The former Pakistan captain didn’t blame the PCB but gave an important piece of information as to why the floodlights might be the reason for Rachin getting injured.
“The issue is the LED light. It glares and shines more. Hence, when the ball travels flat, you are often unable to see it,” Latif said on his show Caught Behind.
It wasn’t the first time someone has lost the ball due to the floodlights and won’t be the last. Is it fair to blame the PCB for an injury to Rachin Ravindra? That, one might have to see. If something like this repeats on February 10, when New Zealand faces South Africa at the same venue, we could perhaps put them at fault, but otherwise, one can’t blame them.
