VIDEO | Carlos Brathwaite stops game for TEN minutes as pathetic umpiring robs Windies off wicket

When Liton Das is batting, rationality always seems to be taking a back seat – whether it is the fans, or in this case, the umpires. Chasing a steep target of 191 runs in the series deciding T20I in Dhaka, the hosts got an early jolt in the dismissal of Tamim Iqbal. The opener needed to replicate Evin Lewis’ lightning fast 89-run knock, in order to give his team the perfect start in the crunch game but his dismissal meant the onus was now on national hero Liton Das to take his team over the line.

Playing alongside Soumya Sarkar, Das looked to be in good touch as he kept rotating strikes with occasional boundaries. However, calamity struck in the fourth over when Sheldon Cottrell was bowling and Das looked to be terrific form. He had started the over with a maximum, which was followed by two consecutive boundaries.

The second boundary came in the fifth ball that was adjudged a No ball by the umpire. Replays showed that it was a wrong call, but given the shoddy umpiring that has been consistent in the game, no one really protested. The free hit saw Das hitting a six. The very next delivery was a wide ball and what followed was a stunning blunder by umpire Tanvir Ahmed. 

Das went for a shot this time again and was caught, as the delivery was called No ball again. Windies didn’t object it but as soon as the big screen showed that it was not even close to being a No Ball, Windies skipper Carlos Brathwaite called for a DRS. The umpire upstairs informed Ahmed that he was wrong and he was quick to raise the finger. However, Liton didn’t move and controversy that was boiling so far, now started simmering. 

Brathwaite went to the boundary where match referee Jeff Crowe also come down to explain to him why Liton Das couldn’t be given out. Mushtaq Ahmed and Shakib Al Hasan joined the show with long discussions taking place as Brathwaite was seen explaining the umpire in a very animated manner as the decision was given a Free Hit.

It reminded many of the Nidahas Trophy controversy between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where Shakib-Al-Hasan had threatened to take his team off the field. Brathwaite, however, went back to his players asking them to carry on with the game.