Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
A controversy erupted during the India A vs Pakistan A match in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament on Sunday, November 16, after a clean relay catch by Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir was overturned by the third umpire. The duo combined on the boundary rope to pull off an excellent catch of Pakistan A opener Maaz Sadaqat, which appeared clean from all angles.
However, Saadaqt survived after the third umpire ruled him not out due to the new ICC rule regarding relay catches. The decision left everyone stunned as the India A players charged towards the on-field umpires to seek clarity over the decision. The fans, too, were left scratching their heads as they scrambled to check the new laws.
The incident took place on the first delivery of the 10th over of Pakistan A's run-chase after India A set them a moderate target of 137 runs in the game. Facing spinner Suyash Sharma, Sadaqat played a lofted shot, and the ball seemed to be travelling over the boundary rope. However, Nehal cut it short at the boundary line with an incredible effort.
He plucked the ball in thin air and pushed it back on the field just in time, before landing outside the rope. Naman Dhir, who was standing close, comfortably took the catch as the duo completed what looked like a magnificent relay catch. The replays showed that it was a clean catch as Wadhera had flicked the ball to Dhir before crossing the boundary rope.
Pakistan opener Sadaqat also started walking back to the dressing room. However, he was stopped by the on-field umpires as they waited for confirmation from the third umpire. Much to India A players' disappointment, third umpire Morshed Ali Khan ruled Sadaqat not out and overturned the catch.
The Indian players and skipper Jitesh Sharma confronted the on-field umpires after 'Not Out' flashed on the big screen, trying to understand the third umpire's decision. Meanwhile, the fourth umpire was seen chatting with the Indian support staff in the India A dugout. Much to everyone's surprise, Pakistan were also not awarded a six, leaving everyone confused.
The catch was overturned by the third umpire under a new ICC rule announced by MCC in June this year. MCC made an amendment to Law 19.5.2 to reduce confusion around airborne and relay catches on the boundary rope. According to the latest rule, a player is allowed to go airborne while taking a catch on the boundary line, however, the final landing point has to be inside the field of play.
A fielder may touch the ball outside the boundary rope while being airborne; however, after that touch, he must land inside the field of play for the catch to be considered completed fairly. If the fielder lands outside the boundary rope after taking the catch, the ball is deemed to have reached the boundary.
The same applies even if another player completes the fielding. As per the new rules, if two players are involved in a catch, both should have landed inside the boundary after completing the catch. In Wadhera's case, he caught the ball within the boundary rope and released the ball before crossing the rope. However, he landed outside the boundary and the field of play.
"Changes to the playing conditions now require a fielder who makes airborne contact with the ball beyond the boundary to then land and remain inside the boundary. A fielder, after making their first contact with the ball, subsequently leaves the field of play, can only make contact with the ball once more while airborne beyond the boundary," ICC said in a statement, about the new rule.
"Having done so, they must land and remain wholly within the boundary. This applies even if another player completes the fielding. This change will be implemented in international cricket before it is included in the MCC Laws of Cricket next year," it added.
Since Wadhera failed to land on the field of play after flicking the ball back to Dhir while being airborne, the third umpire's decision to rule the batter Not Out was correct. However, the decision to not reward a six to Pakistan Shaheens further added to the confusion, intensifying the debate as Wadhera had thrown the ball in the air while being inside the field.
The ball turned out to be a dot delivery as no runs or a wickets was awarded on it. Sadaqat made the most of the reprieve as he went on to smash a brilliant unbeaten 79 off 47 balls to help Pakistan A chase down the target of 137 runs with 40 balls to spare and beat India by 8 wickets in the highly-tense clash.
