WATCH: 3rd Umpire Richard Illingworth arrives late during 2nd Test between Australia and Pakistan due to strange incident

The 2nd Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground(MCG) is the biggest decider where Pakistan are still behind in the game after being bowled out for 264. Apart from decent contributions from Abdullah Shafique and skipper Shan Masood, they still could not manage to reach the score which was set by the Aussies giving them the lead. Despite the 4 quick wickets due to some great bowling from Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza, the partnership between Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh has got them out of trouble and is currently 143-4 and leading by 197 runs at the end of the 2nd session.

Apart from the cricketers, let's talk about the officials, who play a huge part in the game. They are none other than the umpires who have to ensure that the players are playing according to the rules of the game. The umpires are also responsible for the major decision-making and have to be alert whether there is a chance of a dismissal or if the boundary is cleared or not. In fact, in modern-day cricket, even the third umpire has a big role to play due to the introduction of the Decision Review System(DRS) and watching over no balls. It is safe to say that these officials cannot miss any action when they are on the field.

Late arrival of Richard Illingworth

Former player and umpire Richard Illingworth has already been active in the game even after retirement as he has not only been part of England’s World Squads in 1992 and 1996 but also had a long career as an umpire with over 10 years of experience and has been involved in more than 150 international matches. During the ongoing Test though while he was the third umpire, Illingworth was seen arriving late into his cabin due to being stuck in the lift coming up to his seat. This did cause a few laughs in the commentary box as well, but the 60-year-old veteran took it like a sportsman.

Watch video below-

3rd umpire is back.....!!!!!

- He was stuck in the lift as match was delayed for few minutes at MCG. pic.twitter.com/IKBOcINUSM

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 28, 2023

This incident proves that even the people who are known to make active and smart decisions on the field can make some mistakes. Illingworth was also lucky that there was no major decision to be taken, while he was not present in the box. Overall it was just fun and games and he was finally back to officiate the game with great awareness and activeness which he is known for. The boxing day Test might not be that close, but there are a lot of things happening at the MCG in this Test match.