'It was shown wrong. Full ball was hitting the leg-stump': Pakistan great's explosive claim; Akram, Misbah react
The former Pakistan captain had a strong opinion on the umpire's call that saved Tabraiz Shamsi during the 2023 World Cup match on Friday.
Pakistan faced a heartbreaking one-wicket defeat at the hands of South Africa in a key 2023 World Cup clash in Chennai. The match marked South Africa's first World Cup triumph against Pakistan since the 1999 edition. Unfortunately for Babar Azam's team, it was their fourth consecutive loss at the ongoing edition, making their road to semi-final qualification very tricky. With four points from six games, Pakistan's chances of qualifying for the semifinals are now less than five percent, even if they manage to win all three of their remaining matches.
What initially seemed like a straightforward chase of 271 turned into the closest and most exciting game of the tournament; the Proteas went from a comfortable 235 for 5 to a precarious 260 for 9, all thanks to a brilliant display of high-quality pace bowling by Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/45) and Haris Rauf (2/62). However, Keshav Maharaj (7 not out) and Tabraiz Shamsi (4 not out) managed to add 11 crucial runs, securing a special victory in 47.2 overs and propelling their team to the top of the points table with 10 points.
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However, the match ignited some controversy during the closing stages when Haris Rauf trapped Tabraiz Shamsi in front of stumps in the last ball of his final over. While the appeal was turned down by the umpire, review showed ball to be clipping a part of leg-stump; however, Shamsi survived courtesy Umpires' Call. The Pakistan players were justifiably shattered at the decision but the side's former cricketers expressed their anger at the on-field umpire's decision.
Former Pakistan Moin Khan also went on to doubt the review visuals, insisting that the entirely of the ball must be hitting the leg-stump, as opposed to the actual visual where a very small part of the ball impacted the stump.
“It was umpire's mistake. He (Shamsi) should have been given out. At the point of impact, the leg-stump was visible. It was clearly out, and umpire should've raised his finger. It could've gone down for referral then. I feel the clipping was shown wrong. The full ball was hitting the leg-stump,” Moin said on A Sports.
Wasim Akram, meanwhile, stated that technology should not be used if it can't guarantee ‘100 percent’ results. “That's why people might not agree with me. Technology is meant to be 100 percent, and it should be that way. With all information nowadays,” said the legendary former pacer.
Another former captain, Misbah-ul-Haq was particularly strong in his criticism, stating that the technology is useless if it can't overturn the decision despite contrary proofs. “Umpire's call is a big issue that needs to be sorted out. If it shows that it's out, and the umpire has given it not out, then it should be given out. If you have to stay with umpire's decision, then what's the point,” said Misbah.
