The question is can cricketers leave the field to go to the washroom? Maybe the answer is no, as players are not allowed to leave or enter the field without the officials’ permission. But, in cricket history, there are few example where cricketers left the field to go to the washroom. While there is no explicit ruling on toilet breaks either by ICC or the BCCI, the MCC (Marleybone Cricket Club) law states: “A substitute fielder shall not be allowed for comfort breaks, or for when a fielder leaves the field to go to the toilet.”
Here we see five cricketers who left the field for a nature call.
1. M.S DHONI
In a bilateral series match against Bangladesh, captain MS Dhoni left the ground and went to the washroom. In the 44th over of the Bangladesh batting innings, Dhoni was seen going off the field for an over, deputizing Test captain Virat Kohli to stand behind the stumps in his absence. Kohli collected the fifth ball of the over which just missed the outside edge of Mashrafe Mortaza. Shakib al Hasan was dismissed in that over as well, caught at backward point by Ravindra Jadeja. Dhoni returned to his post in the 45th over, and Kohli happily returned to his fielding position.
2. DICKIE BIRD
Legendary British umpire Dickie Bird, who is known to have had to walk off the field during a match for the same reason, is reported to have said, “I do not remember the opponent, but in one of the Test matches at Old Trafford, I had to leave the field with the permission of the England bowler. I don’t remember much about the incident, but I think the bowler was Ian Botham. I spoke to him and went off the ground to the toilet and returned soon running down with my hand on pant zip”, the 83-year-old Bird recalled.
3. HARBHAJAN SINGH
Harbhajan Singh did the same thing when he was playing a Ranji match. While bowling, he couldn’t resist himself from going to a nature call. He just left the ball on the pitch and ran away to the pavilion to use the washroom. Everyone were surprised to see him running away leaving the batsman like that. Later he continued his spell but this remained as his embarrassing moment.
4. MERVYN DILLON
West indies player Mervyn Dillon went in the middle of the match for nature call when he was about to bowl an over against India in a Test match. Suddenly, he tossed the ball to someone and he ran for the dressing room. The commentator said, “when u gotta go, u gotta go”.
5. SOURAV GANGULY
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly once left the ground on nature call. India was playing their last Test match in a four-match series against Australia in Sydney. When Australia was batting in their second innings suddenly Sourav told the umpire to allow him to go the dressing room. Then substitute fielder came into the field for Sourav.