The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 was going on smoothly, but umpiring decisions, have been one major factor many are not happy with and this was reflected during the Delhi Capitals (DC) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) game last night.
Delhi needed 36 runs from six balls, which was quite doable and batter Rovman Powell had even smashed three balls for six. However, that's where things got ugly. The third ball by Obed McCoy to Powell was full which the bowler tried to fire in a yorker, however, missed the length and ended up bowling a full toss.
READ | Did wrong decision cost Delhi Capitals the match against Rajasthan Royals?
Powell smashed it over deep mid-wicket and that was a hat-trick of sixes. However, the DC camp and dugout were not happy with the way the umpires or even the third umpire did not give it a no-ball.
With no head coach Ricky Ponting at the crease, the coaching staff including the likes of Shane Watson and Pravin Amre started having a word with the fourth umpire and asked for the decision to be changed.
READ | Is Delhi Capitals playing without head coach Ricky Ponting? Here's what Prithvi Shaw said
However, when the decision stayed, Pant decided to call his batters back from the ground. Even Jos Buttler, who was fielding at the boundary line, was not happy and had an argument with the DC skipper.
But amid all this, what did not settle well with many critics was Pant sending the coaching staff member Amre on the field to protest against the umpire’s decision.
The coach had a word with the umpires who were adamant about the play going on to stay with their decision. Replays had confirmed that it was a waist-high no-ball, however, the on-field decision stayed and the Royals managed to win the game in the end.
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Now the main question remains, was sending coach Pravin Amre on the field the right decision?
Former England captain and now IPL commentator Kevin Pietersen tore into Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant and assistant coach Pravin Amre for the way they handled the controversy. Pietersen reckoned that what happened, would not have taken place had Ponting been in the dug-out.
"I don’t think that would have happened if Ricky Ponting was there. I think Jos Buttler had every right to walk up to Rishabh Pant and say ‘what on earth are you doing?’ to send one of their coaches onto the field and think that was the correct behaviour?," added Pietersen.
Pietersen also slammed Amre for storming onto the field. "I don’t know who they think they are but that was a mistake, that was a huge, huge mistake. The biggest mistake is the coach running onto the field and talking to the umpire," the 41-year-old stated.
"I just do not understand the coach, he is a senior figure in those rooms. Rishabh Pant was calling them off. They wanted to walk off. For me, that was unacceptable and I hope I never ever see that again in the game of cricket," he added.
