Renowned Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary, with a wealth of experience officiating in numerous international matches, recently offered an intriguing description of Pakistan wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan's appealing technique.
In a widely circulated video on social media, Chaudhary humorously likened Rizwan's jumping motion while appealing to that of a pigeon. Additionally, Chaudhary mentioned that he takes into consideration Rizwan's tendency to appeal excessively before making a decision on his appeals.
“He appeals a lot. I even told my fellow umpire to stay aware. Har ball pe chillata hai (He keeps shouting on every ball)." Chaudhary said in an episode of 2 sloggers podcast. "Isn't he the one who puts something like a lipstick (sunscreen)? He keeps jumping like a pigeon."
Chaudhary also stated that in today's technologically advanced world, tactics such as Rizwan's only serve to make the players the subject of ridicule.
"See, fact is a good umpire knows who is a good keeper. If the umpire is good, these keepers are losers. Aur itna technology aa gaya hai, kyun apna beizatti karwa rahein ho? Ulta seedha nikla jayega, toh log aap hi ka mazak udayenge (When technology has evolved so much, why do you have to make yourself look bad? People tend to make fun of such things),” Chaudhary said.
Rizwan's theatrics behind the stumps have become a popular subject for memes on social media. Currently, the wicket-keeper batter is participating in the Bangladesh-Pakistan first Test in Rawalpindi. Rizwan achieved his career-best Test score of 171 not out in the first innings of the Test match. However, his outstanding performance was overshadowed by Mushfiqur Rahim's impressive score of 191, leading Bangladesh to a 117-run advantage in the first innings.
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