VIDEO | Umpire takes SIX minutes to come up with run-out decision despite Shoaib Malik walking off instantly
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How much time is too much time? At a time when Jason Holder was banned for a match as his team took five more minutes to finish the overs, umpires took well over 5-6 minutes to come up with a run-out dismissal despite Shoaib Malik started walking off almost instantly as he knew that he was out.
Cricket has always adopted stricter rules to counter the wastage of time and at the same time, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) even has come up with the idea of The Hundred to reduce the spectator fatigue. However, if coming up with a run-out decision would take 5-6 minutes, then what is the point of doing all these?
In the 12th over of Pakistan’s innings against South Africa, skipper Shoaib Malik flicked a Tabraiz Shamsi delivery to the short fine-leg region where Andile Phehlukwayo was stationed. Clearly, there was never a run on offer, but Malik was in a hurry to complete that one and even forced Hussain Talat to run for the same. Talat was reluctant throughout, but after seeing Malik running for the single, he decided to oblige him, before changing his mind suddenly.
The decision to run or not to run took too much time that Malik had already reached the half-way mark of the crease and there was no way he could recover the return distance. Understanding it was not possible, he decided to run, hoping to outrun his partner, who was returning to the non-striker’s end. By then, Phehlukwayo had already thrown the ball to Heinrich Klaasen to confirm that one of the batsmen was dismissed. But, was it Malik or was it Talat?
It seemed like nobody had any clue about that. As per the rules, if two batsmen are running in the same direction and the stumps have been uprooted on the other side, then the one who is closer to the stumps to the side of dismissal would be dismissed. The camera angle was clear that it was Malik who was dismissed by that and not Talat. However, the umpire took an eternity to confirm the same and the surprising thing that even Malik was asked to stay inside the boundary despite the skipper being aware that it was he who had to go eventually. The commentators were also irritated by the proceedings and by the time, the verdict came out, they had almost lost their patience.Â
