Ben Stokes terms Jason Roy’s obstruction dismissal ‘embarrassment’

England all-rounder Ben Stokes on Friday took to Twitter, expressing his displeasure at the ‘obstructing the field’ decision given against teammate Jason Roy, during the second T20 International against South Africa at Taunton.

(Read | England’s Jason Roy becomes 1st player to be dismissed ‘obstructing the field’ in T20Is)

Roy, who returned to form in the second game of the three-match series with a 45-ball 67, was found obstructing the field during England’s chase of 175. South Africa won the game by three runs and levelled the three-match series 1-1.

The right-handed Roy became the first cricketer ever to have been given out in such a manner in T20Is and ninth overall. Interestingly, Stokes had become the eighth cricketer overall to have been given out obstructing the field during England’s ODI versus Australia at Lord’s in mid-2015, said Cricket Australia’s website. Stokes’ dismissal in that game had stirred controversy.

Roy was batting with Liam Livingstone when the latter played a delivery towards point but did not call for a single. Roy, in the meantime, had set off for the run. Livingstone’s call made Roy turn back, but the batsman, who was running from the right side of the pitch, went into the opposite side in order to get back inside the crease.

(Read | South Africa fight back to level T20 series against England)

However, Andile Phehlukwayo was quick to grab the ball and throw it towards the non-striker’s end, but the ball struck Roy on his heel. The South Africans appealed in unison, seeing that Roy would have been run out as he was way short of the ground.

David Lloyd said in the commentary box, “He’s gone across to the other side of the pitch and that’ll be something the umpires take into consideration.”

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Michael Atherton added, “Whether you can say he got himself deliberately between the ball and the stumps, I’m not sure.”

On his part, England captain Eoin Morgan, who had strongly opposed the decision against Stokes, admitted that it was a ’50-50 call’. “It was not massively controversial. I thought it was a 50-50 call,” Morgan said.

However, former England cricketer Alec Stewart termed Roy’s dismissal as ‘controversial’.

Alex Hales saw the lighter side of the whole episode. It must be remembered that Stokes was adjudged out obstructing the field when his hand came in the way of Mitchell Starc’s return throw in that game at the Lord’s (in 2015).

South Africa skipper AB de Villiers defended his team’s reaction. “We were in the right to ask the question of the umpires. It’s not an easy decision and it’s never nice to get out like that,” he said.