Watch: Bizarre incident unfolds during England vs Australia Champions Trophy match, Mark Wood confronted by umpire over suspicious activity

An unusual moment occurred during England's Champions Trophy 2025 campaign opener against Australia held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, February 22.

England's tearaway pacer Mark Wood was confronted by umpires over suspicious activity during the match.

Wood is known for his ability to unsettle batsmen with his sheer pace and devastating short deliveries. Despite a history of injuries, Wood consistently proves his value to the England team across all three formats of cricket whenever he takes the field.

Umpires confront Mark Wood over unusual activity

Mark Wood's blistering pace was on full display during England's bowling. He began his spell with a barrage of deliveries exceeding 150 kilometers per hour, consistently troubling the Australia batters. In his second over, he maintained this intensity, delivering six consecutive balls at over 150 kph.

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However, his second over was interrupted when the umpire intervened, noticing something unusual. The umpire observed that Wood had tape or plaster on a finger of his bowling hand. Suspecting that Wood might be using the tape to manipulate the ball's condition, the umpire immediately instructed him to remove it. The discussion involved Wood, the umpire, England's captain Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone.

Right after the incident Wood, in his subsequent over, got the prized wicket of Steve Smith which left Australia reeling at 27/2 while chasing a 352-run target.

Watch the video here:

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Earlier, batting first, England's opener Ben Duckett crafted a historic knock and scored superlative 165 runs. Duckett scripted a massive World Record for the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history, as England posted a formidable total of 351/8 after being asked to bat first.

Duckett's career-best knock of 165 surpassed the previous record held by New Zealand's Nathan Astle. His innings was a masterclass in aggressive batting, featuring 17 boundaries and three sixes. Notably, he also became the first batsman to score 150 runs in the tournament's history. Duckett's crucial contribution anchored the England innings until he was dismissed by Marnus Labuschagne in the 48th over. He received valuable support from Joe Root, who scored 68, and together they forged a 158-run partnership, ensuring England reached a commanding total. Meanwhile, Ben Dwarshuis was the pick of the bowlers for Australia as he picked 3/66.