In cricket, the umpire's mistake sometimes changes the story of the entire series. Be it Steve Bucknor's mistakes during the Sydney Test in 2008 or the allegations of ball tampering against Pakistan in the Oval Test, such decisions are remembered for a long time. We will talk about some such controversial umpiring decisions in cricket history, which not only changed the results on the field but also affected the direction of the game. Let us know about five such decisions which shocked the fans and promoted the demand for technical improvements.
1. Steve Bucknor's mistakes in the 2008 Sydney Test
Steve Bucknor gave many controversial decisions in the second Test of the 2007-08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia. Sourav Ganguly was declared out in the slip while the replay clearly showed that the ball had fallen on the ground first. Andrew Symonds was also wrongly given not out many times, and he scored a century. This defeat angered the Indian team and fans. After this, Bucknor was removed from the series, and the voice for implementing DRS grew louder.
2. Darrell Hair's ball tampering controversy in the 2006 Oval Test
In the Pakistan vs England Test, Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove accused Pakistan of ball tampering. They gave England five runs as a penalty and changed the ball. Pakistan refused to take the field after tea in protest. As a result, the match was forfeited to England. The ICC later changed the result to a draw, and Hair was removed from the Elite Panel.
3. Six-run decision in the 2019 World Cup Final
In the thrilling final between England and New Zealand, umpire Aleem Dar gave six runs to England in an overthrow. The throw from the field hit Ben Stokes' bat and crossed the boundary. According to the rules, the correct decision would have been five runs. That one run proved decisive in tying the match, and England won in the super over. There was a lot of debate on this, and the MCC said that the overthrow rule should be clarified.
4. Giving Stuart Broad not out in the 2013 Ashes
In the first Test of the Ashes series in 2013, Aleem Dar gave Stuart Broad not out even though he had clearly edged the ball to the slips. Australia did not have a review, and Broad then added 28 more runs. England won this Test by just 14 runs. This decision intensified the debate about the correct use of DRS and the player walking himself.
5. Giving Sachin LBW in the 1999 Adelaide Test
In the Adelaide Test against Australia, umpire Daryl Harper declared Sachin Tendulkar LBW. Glenn McGrath's ball hit Sachin's shoulder, but the umpire sent him to the pavilion. In the replay, the ball was seen missing the stumps. India had to chase a big target, and this decision dashed India's hopes. This decision once again fuelled the demand for reliable use of technology.
