Why does a fielder throw the ball in the air after catching it? (Photo- Philip Brown/Getty Images)
Cricket Rules For Out Caught: The thrill of a cricket match gives a lot of relief to the fans, but its rules sometimes leave the fans confused. This game also includes some rules about which most people are not aware. Some are not even usually seen in matches. Some similar rules have been made for catching also. However, in cricket, when a fielder or wicketkeeper catches the ball, he usually immediately throws the ball in the air and then catches it again. This seems to be everyone’s style of celebration, but there is an old and important reason hidden behind it, which is related to the rules of cricket. About which very few people know.
Why does a fielder throw the ball in the air after catching it?
According to the Laws of Cricket, Law 33 – Caught, a catch is considered complete when the fielder has complete control over the ball and also controls its movement. This effort of the fielder is enough for a legal catch. But in olden times, when there were no facilities like cameras and DRS, the umpire had to prove that the catch was taken correctly and the ball did not leave the hand.
Therefore, by tossing the ball in the air, the fielders used to show that they had complete control over the ball and could release it intentionally. Tossing the ball was a kind of signal and told the umpire that the catch was complete and there was no doubt. This habit is so old that even today most players continue it as a celebration, even though now everything is clearly visible from the third umpire and super slow motion. That is, in old times players used to do this to confirm the catch, which has now become a habit of the players.
ICC rules for taking catches
- The ball thrown by the bowler should not be a no ball.
- The ball is considered caught out only when it touches the batsman’s bat.
- After that a fielder should catch the ball as a fair catch.
- The ball must be caught before it touches the ground.
What is fair catch?
- The ball must be caught in the fielder’s hand or hands.
- The catch is legal even if the hand is touching the ground, that is, the fingers are under the ball and the hand is on the ground.
- The ball should not touch the ground, boundary or anything outside it at any time.
- The fielder must complete the catch while remaining inside the boundary.