An umpire can’t just signal a batsman as a dismissed player just because he thinks so. He needs some help from the fielding team as well. Do you know about the captain who recalled the batsman back to the field after being (wrongfully) given out by the umpire? Find out that and many more in today’s article.
Hello, Cricket Fans, I am writing a new cricket article after a very long break. I’ve been holding back because I wanted to add a YouTube video along with my cricket articles. I’ll link my YouTube video at the end of my article. Let’s get into it.
How can a Batsman Get Out?
1. Umpire can give the batsman out after fielders appeal
We all know that umpires give the batsman out after fielders appeal. But actually, umpires can give a batsman out only if the fielders appeal. An umpire can’t signal a batsman as a dismissed player if none of the fielders appeal.
This is the reason why almost all the wicketkeepers in cricket appeal for almost anything. Apart from the umpire, the wicket keeper is the one who usually has the best view of things. And if wicket keeper’s appeal is a strong one, the umpire is more likely to give the batsman out.
Well, this did not go well for Andrew Flintoff in the following incident.
2. Umpire can give the batsman out if the batsman walks off (and if the umpire thinks it is out)
With the introduction of DRS, most of the players decide not to walk off even if he knows that he is out. But in the earlier days where we didn’t have DRS, some batsmen did walk-off if he is sure he is out. This made the job easier for the standing umpires especially when the umpire was not sure.
If batsman decides to walk off due to a misapprehension, the umpire can ask him to come back.
A batsman may be recalled at any time up to the instant when the ball comes into play for the next delivery, unless it is the final wicket of the innings, in which case it should be up to the instant when the umpires leave the field.
The Laws of Cricket | MCC
When should fielders appeal?
- Fielders should appeal before the bowler begins the run-up to bowl the next delivery
- If there is no run-up, the fielders should appeal before the bowler gets into his bowling stride.
- If it is the end of the over, the fielders should appeal before the next over starts
Another thing that I should mention is that Call of Over does not matter here. Call of Over is basically when the umpire says, “Over” at the end of an over. Fielders still can appeal after Call of Over.
In case of DRS, fielders can’t take that long. Fielding captain only gets 15 seconds to decide whether they want to take the review or not.
How should fielders appeal?
Usually asking ” How’s That ?” is the tradition. This covers all the ways the batsman can be given out.
How should umpires answer appeals?
- Striker’s end umpire is in charge of answering appeals regarding Hit Wicket, Stumpings and Runouts at his end.
- Bowler’s end umpire is in charge of answering appeals regarding all other ways of getting out and Runouts at his end.
- If any of the umpires are capable of making the decision, he can go ahead and make the decision.
- If the responsible umpire is not sure, he can have a chat with the other umpire before making the decision.
- If they can’t still make the decision, they can ask for an umpire review to consult the third umpire.
Can we withdraw an appeal?
Yes. It is possible to withdraw an appeal.
Here the captain of the fielding team should ask to withdraw their appeal after obtaining the consent of the umpires.
This also has to be done before the next ball is bowled unless it is the last wicket of the innings. In that case, the fielding captain should do this before umpires walk off the field.
There is a popular occasion where this has happened. Andrew Symonds of Australia was given out in a match against Sri Lanka for covering the wicket. The replays clearly showed that there was a big inside edge. After seeing this, Sri Lankan captain Mavan Atapattu decided to recall Symonds to the field. Here is the full video.
Well, I’ve linked down my new YouTube video regarding Cricket Law 31 – Appeals and Dismissals for my Sri Lankan viewers.
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