Flying ants stop play in IND vs SA 3rd T20I: Five times international cricket matches were halted due to bizarre reasons

The third T20I match between India and South Africa was interrupted for a lengthy period on Wednesday in Centurion due to flying ants.

There were thousands of them at the SuperSport Park, most flying near the floodlights, few on the ground, and few swarming the players as the on-field umpires were forced to stop the play.

The flying ants were spotted during the start of the second innings, when South Africa scored just seven runs in the opening over, in their chase of 221. They were initially spotted flying near the floodlights as Arshdeep Singh kick-started the first over, but umpires soon intervened after few of those insects were seen on the pitch.

Fearing safety for the players, the umpires had a quick chat with both captains, before taking the players off the field. The incident led to a 30-minute delay in the match, where India eventually won just 11 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.

Other instances when an international cricket match were halted due to bizarre reasons:

Pollution stops play at Delhi Test: The 2017 Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was repeatedly halted after a few players were “continuously vomiting” due to hazardous pollution levels in Delhi. It was the first instance of an international cricket match being halted due to the toxic smog. As the situation worsened on the second day of the match, several Sri Lanka players were seen wearing face masks following the lunch break, causing a delay of 20 minutes. Upon resumption, two Sri Lanka players – Lahiru Gamage and Suranga Lakmal – left the field citing breathing difficulties, causing another delay in the game.

While the crowd booed Sri Lanka for being melodramatic, doctors declared a public health emergency in Delhi. During that month, schools were shut after pollution levels in the city went up 40 times the WHO safe limits.

Too much sunlight in Napier: In a bizarre incident in 2019, a Test match between India and New Zealand was halted after veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan complained to the umpires that he almost found himself blinded by the light from the setting sun, which fell directly into his eyes. South African umpire Shaun George remarked, “In my 15 years as an umpire, I haven’t seen this before. But there’s a first time for everything.” The match was halted for more than 30 minutes.

Swarm of bees: Flying ants were not the only instance of a match getting halted due to a bizarre reason in South Africa. In 2017, during a Pink ODI match at the Wanderers, then South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, in the middle of the 25th over of Sri Lanka’s innings, suddenly urged all players on the field to lie on the ground as a swarm of bees invaded the venue. Ground staff used a vacuum cleaner and pesticides to clear the bees, causing a hour-long delay in the match. Incidentally, a similar instance had also happened in the 2019 World Cup match between the two teams.

Total Solar Eclipse: In arguably the longest delay caused in an international match, a total solar eclipse affected a Test match between India and England in Mumbai in 1980, leading to cancellation of the second day of play owing to the safety of the players.