This IPL season, third umpires have been criticized for a number of allegedly dubious rulings, of which the contentious reversal was just the most recent. Tom Moody, a former Australian cricket player, advocated for specialized third umpires on social media.
“We should think about appointing specialized third umpires; far too many dubious calls are being made. Some umpires are more comfortable in the field; a third umpire needs to have certain training and experience,” he stated.
A contentious call by the third umpire marred the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 18. The decision has reignited the discussion about the necessity of specialized authorities in this capacity to increase decision-making accuracy.
The incident happened when the on-field umpire did not rule PBKS bowler Arshdeep Singh’s ball to MI hitter Suryakumar Yadav as wide during his batting innings. On the other hand, the MI contingent—which included Tim David, Kieron Pollard, and Mark Boucher—was shown on the TV broadcast indicating to their fielders to proceed for a review after observing the ball cross the wide guide line.
The verdict was forwarded upstairs to third umpire Nitin Menon, even though PBKS captain Sam Curran informed the umpires of the attempted review from outside the playing area. Remarkably, Menon reversed the initial ruling after watching replays because he thought it was a wide delivery.
another incident where umpires supported MI. Tim David singling for DRS after seeing the reply, Sam Curran pointed out but umpire ignored him and asked from third umpire. this is shameful pic.twitter.com/QOS27aLXsr
— Sunil the Cricketer (@1sInto2s) April 19, 2024
It’s time we considered having specialist 3rd umpires, too many questionable decisions being made.
Some umpires are better suited on field, the 3rd umpire requires experience and a certain skill set. #IPL— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) April 18, 2024
MI won by nine runs against PBKS.
Moody’s comments emphasized the crucial role the third umpire plays in light of his access to ball-tracking technology and television replays. Since close calls frequently decide games, having officials who are specially educated to view footage from various perspectives is seen as crucial to increasing the accuracy of their decisions.
Also read: IPL 2024: PBKS vs MI Match 33 Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more
In relation to the game, MI was requested to bat first. Rohit Sharma’s 36 off 25 and Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive 78 off 53 helped the visitors to 192/7. With a terrible start to their pursuit, PBKS was trailing at 77/6.
While there was still optimism after a late burst from Ashutosh Sharma (61 off 28) and Shashank Singh (41 off 25), the Punjab-based team was nine runs short of the mark. Gerald Coetzee and Jasprit Bumrah shared six wickets between them, which is noteworthy.
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