The time has come to take a call on the ‘umpire’s call’, many experts feel, though some are ready to pass it off as “a part of the game”.
The latest incident that has stoked a debate on the ‘umpire’s call’ happened on Saturday, in the Pakistan-South Africa game in Chennai.
With Pakistan just a wicket away from what could have been a very important win in their dwindling World Cup campaign, South Africa’s No.11 batter Tabraiz Shamsi escaped a leg-before appeal from Haris Rauf as the TV umpire, after a review, said it was the ‘umpire’s call’ as replays showed the ball would have just brushed the leg stump. The on-field umpire, Alex Wharf, had adjudged it not out, so it stayed that way. Eventually, the Proteas went on to win the match by one wicket.
While Pakistan captain Babar Azam was not critical of the decision, saying “it’s part of the game”, the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Misbah-ul Haq felt that the rule shouldn’t be a part of cricket.
“Bad umpiring and bad rules cost Pakistan this game. ICC should change this rule…if the ball is hitting the stump that’s out whether umpire gave out or not out doesn’t matter… otherwise what is the use of technology?” Harbhajan wrote on X.
As per Decision Review System rules, if the ball-tracking technology projects that the ball would have gone on to clip the stumps instead of hitting it, the verdict will be given as per the on-field umpire’s call. In other words, if there’s no certainty that the ball would hit the stumps, the on-field umpire’s decision would be final.
Former Pakistan captain Misbah too was critical of the rule. “Umpire’s call is a big issue that needs to be sorted out. If it shows that it’s out, and the umpire has given it not out, then it should be given out. If you have to stay with the umpire’s decision, then what’s the point,” he said.
But then there are others who have a different opinion.
England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick doesn’t think any changes are needed for the ‘umpire’s call’ in the DRS method.
“I don’t think we need to change anything at the moment. It’s been working pretty smoothly as you’d expect it to be. I think everyone knows the rules, everyone has the same understanding going into the game. So, you know there’s nothing to change at the moment. There’s not been any major obvious errors or anything that we need to worry about. So, carry on as we have been,” Trescothick said in Lucknow on Saturday, ahead of their game against India.
Noted commentator Harsha Bhogle holds a similar view.
“After the ball strikes the pad, what you see is a projection of where the ball might have been, it isn’t the actual ball because that has met an obstruction. If more than 50% of the ball is projected to hit the stumps, you can be 100% sure it will,” Bhogle wrote on X.
“It is a very good and fair method. As cameras get better and the projected path more certain, we could reach a day when you can be certain that even if the projected path shows a ball merely clipping the stumps, it would in reality have hit them,” he added.
Pak miss ‘perfection’
Pakistan need to win all their three remaining games and still depend for their Cup fate on other results, and director of cricket Mickey Arthur said it’s because the team has yet failed to put together the “perfect game”.
The loss to South Africa on Friday has left Pakistan on an even trickier pitch.
“... look to be brutally honest, we haven’t put together the perfect game yet. I don’t think we’ve batted well enough yet as a unit. I think certainly par on that (Chepauk) pitch is 300 at least. So, we haven’t put together enough runs,” a disappointed Arthur said after the 1-wicket loss to South Africa.
“And then we haven’t put together a bowling performance that goes with it. So tonight (Friday), I thought it was our best bowling performance of the competition... we haven’t put the perfect game together yet. Hasn’t been for lack of effort, hasn’t been for lack of trying, but we just haven’t got enough players in form at the minute, particularly with the bat,” he added.
PTI
