When a spectator was asked to represent his country - The story of Luke Pomersbach's bizarre debut

How would you react if you went to watch a cricket match at the stadium with your girlfriend but, rather than watching that match, you ended up playing in it? Strange, isn’t it? Well, this is what happened with Australian batsman Luke Pomersbach when he made his debut for Australia in a T20I match against New Zealand back in 2007.

On 11^th December 2007, Pomersbach, who was at that time had been suspended from his state side Western Australia, turned up at the WACA to watch a one-off T20I contest between Australia and New Zealand. But right before the toss, Brad Hodge was declared unfit, and Australia’s team management in an urgent call to action, drafted Pomersbach into the eleven for the only International T20 game that he played in his career.

The one-off T20 against New Zealand was being played at the WACA and Pomersbach’s home-ground, and he felt it might be a good idea to watch the match at the stadium alongside his girlfriend.

But as Pomersbach was making his way towards the stadium to watch his heroes play, Australia's team management on realizing that Hodge had injured his back, found themselves in a real fix. They could not include Stuart Clark as he did not fit their team combination. Someone from the team management, however, figured out the Pomersbach was available at the stadium. They immediately summoned him to turn up to the dressing room.

At first, when a friend of Pomersbach broke the news to the Western Australian batsman about his call-up, he thought it was a joke. But once he found that he was indeed called-up for national duties, he rushed immediately to report to the dressing-room, and as he told Channel 9, he also probably forgot to lock his car.

Pomersbach’s brother, Gavin, rushed to the stadium with his kit but reached there late. Pomersbach by then had borrowed batting gear from other players and somehow got ready in time to make his T20 debut. Australia’s skipper, Michael Clarke by that time, had won the toss and elected to bat first. The man who was banned for drinking a few days back by his state side was now about to play for his country.

However bizarre it may look, that call-up was still well deserved for Pomersbach. He had been in good form during the 2007 season with scores of 0, 102*, 89, 28, 176 (395 runs at 98.75) in the domestic matches. Although a rather elongated drinking session along with teammate Shaun Marsh meant the breaching of the code of conduct set by the team, and both were suspended till December 14.

Before his T20 debut against the Kiwis, Pomersbach, had turned up for CA Chairman's XI against the New Zealander for a Tour game during the 2007 Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, where he smashed 88 runs off 65 balls.

Pomersbach went out to bat when the score was 151 for six, with just 20 balls remaining. With just one way to go about batting, Pomersbach did not get overawed by the situation, and scored a brisk 15 in 7 balls, as Australia thrashed New Zealand by 54 runs.

The T20 against New Zealand was the only game that Pomersbach played for Australia. His off-field controversies, however, overshadowed his cricketing talent, with Pomersbach being banned on various occasions. He has also had near-arrest cases for drunk driving as well as has been involved in out-of-court settlements, and has also often been guilty of not adhering to restrictions set by his state team.

In 2012, Pomersbach was charged with assault by a US citizen. The female claimed that the cricketer assaulted her and her fiance in a hotel in Delhi during the IPL while he was playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The case was later withdrawn after an out-of-court settlement.

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