Jayawardene reacts to Pant calling back players and Amre's interruption vs RR: 'Disappointing. Not how things should be'
IPL 2022: Several former cricketers condemned Pant's actions and felt that he had crossed the line, and weighing in on the topic is Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene, who feels it was disappointing to see a match stopped for the manner in which it did.
The sight of Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant waving at his players and signalling them to come back, followed by assistant coach Pravin Amre walking out to the field to have a word with the umpires triggered a huge controversy in the ongoing edition of the IPL. In match no. 34 of IPL 2022, with DC needing 36 off the last over, Obed McCoy smacked three sixes off the first three balls. The third maximum came off a waist-high full toss, which DC felt should have been called a no-ball. (Also Read: 'He should play the T20 World Cup. If I was selector…': Kaif identifies senior India batter as 'Khalifa' of T20s)
A visibly upset Pant was not happy with the umpire's decision. He asked Powell to come back, after which Amre walked out to the field as a huge drama unfolded. Pant was fined his entire match fee, while Amre was handed a one-match ban. Several former cricketers condemned Pant's actions and felt that he had crossed the line, and weighing in on the topic is Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene, who feels it was disappointing to see a match stopped for the manner in which it did.
"It was disappointing to see that when you stop a game and have people come on to the field, but I honestly believe it was just emotions carrying over in the last over. A couple of sixes were hit and there was an opportunity that probably the umpires did get wrong. But the rules say you can’t go to the third umpire to check on those things," Jayawardene told ICC.
"The spirit of the game and to see things moving forward, it is never an option for a player or a coach to come on to the field. We (coaches) have the ability to come on to the field during the strategic time out at the IPL and that should be the only time that coaches or anyone else should be allowed (on the field)."
Jayawardene added that the entire MI unit followed the incident on the TV, after which everyone in their camp had a discussion about it.
"We saw it on television... most of the guys were watching it together and afterwards we had a chat," the Sri Lanka legend said. "We probably would have reacted (similarly) in the dugout, but it is never an option to go on to the field. That is not the way things should be and I am pretty sure that both Rishabh and Pravin would both regret what happened. Rishabh said it was the emotions… I think we need to give him the benefit of the doubt and move on."
