Image Credit- AFP
Umpire Lyndon Hannibal judged a high full toss as a
legal delivery during a tight last over in the third Twenty20 International
match against Afghanistan in Dambulla. Wanindu Hasaranga, the captain of Sri
Lanka’s Twenty20 international team, has bluntly stated that Hannibal should
find another profession.
The square-leg umpire Hannibal failed to declare a no-ball after a Wafadar
Momand delivery past batter Kamindu Mendis well over waist height without
pitching, prompting Hasaranga to make his caustic remarks. Even though Kamindu
had scooted down the pitch, if he had been standing straight at the popping
crease, the delivery would have probably landed higher than his waist. Based on
the playing conditions set by the ICC, this would be considered a no-ball.
Still, Hasaranga was extraordinarily critical, though
he did not refer to Hannibal by name.
“That kind of thing shouldn’t happen in an international match,”
Hasaranga said of the incident. “If it had been close [to waist height],
that’s not a problem. But a ball that’s going so high… it would have hit the
batsman’s head if it had gone a little higher.
“If you can’t see that, that umpire isn’t suited to international cricket.
It would be much better if he did another job.”
Kamindu was spotted requesting the no-ball after the
umpires decided it was a fair delivery, and it is believed that he also asked
for a review. Nonetheless, player reviews for umpire rulings that do not result
in probable dismissals are prohibited under the current ICC playing standards.
In actuality, unless a dismissal is in question, umpires themselves are not
permitted to start third-umpire reviews on no-balls.
“There was a situation where you could review those calls before, but the
ICC has got rid of that,” Hasaranga said. “Our batsmen tried to
review that. If the third umpire is able to check the front-foot no-ball, he
should check this kind of no-ball as well. There’s no reason why they can’t.
They didn’t do even that, so I’m not sure what was going on in his (the
square-leg umpire’s) mind at the time.”