Pakistani fans suspect they have lost their last match against South Africa due to the Umpire’s call. On the other end, Harsha Bhogle believes the Umpire was correct and the method was good and fair.
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In a nail-biting finish, South Africa clutched and held off Pakistan to secure a 1 wicket victory in Mumbai. Pakistan set a target of 271 runs for the Proteas to chase. While on the hunt, the Proteas gradually lost all of their crucial batters, handing over the driving seat to Pakistan. The controversy arrived when Haris Rauf, on the very last delivery of the 46th Over, tangled Tabariz Shamsi and asked for LBW.
The on-field Umpire’s original decision was Not Out. However, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam, asked for a DRS check, and the result produced a dramatic turn for the match. According to the Computer Generated Trajectory, the ball narrowly hits the leg stump. Such a hit would result in a wicket, but ultimately, the Umpire’s original decision remained as the final call due to some pretty controversial rules from ICC.
On X, Harsha Bhogle stated,
I suspect it is time to explain "Umpire's Call" again. 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…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 27, 2023
While Harsha Bhogle is taking the Umpire’s side, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh strongly opposed Harsha and replied,
Ball hitting the stump is out Harsha simple ! This can happen with indian team tomorrow. ICC need to either stick to tech or umpire call .. there isn’t a need of tech in the game if umpires call is the last call. You can’t have one suggesting out and one saying not out ! Rubbish… https://t.co/IA2DdEGl5v
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 27, 2023
Harbhajan Singh believes the decision to be a straightforward question of hitting the wicket or not; all the statistics, trajectory, and percentage of contact should not come into play. In his defense, Harsha thinks the Umpires should have the final call since the technology is not mature enough to determine such complex situations.
Nevertheless, the heartbroken Pakistanis will have difficulty swallowing such a defeat as their hope for a comeback has faded away. Pakistan will face Bangladesh on the 31st of October. Currently, Pakistan is holding the 6th position of the Point Table.
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