A mini SCG affair

Well I hope all of the ones reading this post would have thoroughly enjoyed the last ball thriller between Pakistan and New Zealand yesterday which was finally won by New Zealand. It doesn't matter if New Zealand did it by hooks or by crooks. But, the eventual result says that New Zealand wins the match by 1 run and keeps its hopes of making it to the semi finals of the World T20 2010 alive. And this was more important that how it was done by either teams. If one goes through the highlights of the match, he'd be surprised to know that there were three decisions that went in favor of the Kiwis.

First of all was the caught behind of the Kiwi batsman Nathan McCullum which was turned down by the onfield main umpire Billy Doctrove despite the replays suggesting repeatedly that there was definitely an outside edge which went on to find the wicket keeper's hands. But, it has to be fascinating when both the on field umpires couldn't hear the noise which a million odd spectators could hear when seated in front of their television sets. Of course, that didn't matter much when one took the Kiwis' scoring rate in their first innings which was just above 6 an over.

And then in the second innings when Pakistan batted, there were two decisions which went undeservingly towards the New Zealand side when first Misbah Ul Haq was given out leg before when replays suggested that there was a clean inside edge and if that was not enough as though, the ball was found to go above the wicket rather than hit the wicket which forms the main criterion for a batsman to be given out leg before. One edge that would have got a Kiwi batsman out was termed as not out which the other edge which would have seen a Pakistani batsman continue with his batting was given out.

Can anyone of you just believe it! Weather New Zealand would have won the match or not had these decisions been given correctly is all the more a different issue but, can such negligence be forgiven in a tournament which terms someone as champions of the game? Oh! I forgot to mention about the other decision which went to the New Zealand side despite the Kiwis not deserving that as well. If one goes through the replays of the way the Pakistani batsman Shahid Afridi got out, it is clearly evident that the ball had touched the ground before landing into the hands of Ian Butler.

The Kiwis can defend themselves that these were purely umpiring errors irrespective of weather the Kiwis desperately appealed for these dismissals. But, if that is not the case in reality, then its all shame of the Kiwis and also on the umpires.