In the ongoing cricket World Cup 2023, the match between Australia and South Africa has taken a dramatic turn due to a contentious LBW call involving Steve Smith and an equally controversial dismissal of Marcus Stoinis. These incidents have sparked heated debates and discussions around the cricketing world.
The controversy started in the 10th over when Kagiso Rabada's delivery seemed to have made contact with Steve Smith's pad, while the ball appeared to be heading outside the leg stump. The South African players, including their captain Temba Bavuma, appealed passionately, but on-field umpire Joel Wilson rejected it and declared Smith not out. However, upon the South African captain's request, the decision was referred for a review.
In the replay, it became evident that the ball was indeed going on to hit the stumps, but Smith's off-stump was visible. Subsequently, the ball went on to brush against Smith's left leg, creating an impression that it might miss the third stump altogether. Yet, the Decision Review System (DRS) showed something entirely different, suggesting that the ball hit the third stump. To the astonishment of the commentator, the on-field umpire Joel Wilson, and even Smith himself, the LBW decision was upheld.
This incident left Smith baffled, and he remained on the crease for a few seconds in disbelief. The entire situation was perplexing, and even his batting partner Marnus Labuschagne seemed bewildered. The DRS review has become the center of attention and debate following this unusual decision.
In another controversial incident, during the 18th over, Marcus Stoinis's dismissal became a subject of debate. Kagiso Rabada, the bowler at that time, delivered a ball that found the inside edge of Stoinis's bat, heading towards the leg stump. Stoinis attempted to make contact with the ball using his bat, but the ball narrowly missed the stumps. Wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock collected the ball.
This triggered an appeal from the South African players for a catch behind. On-field umpire consulted the leg umpire for a second opinion, who, in turn, referred it to the third umpire. The third umpire, after viewing the replays, concluded that there was indeed contact between the ball and Stoinis's glove but it didn't touch the bat. However, during the trajectory of the ball, the batsman's bottom hand (the right hand) was away from the handle, and the bat didn't make contact with the ball.
Following the review, Stoinis engaged in a prolonged discussion with the on-field umpire, but ultimately, he had to accept the third umpire's decision.
Both these incidents have sparked a major controversy and discussion in the cricketing world. Fans and experts are divided over the umpiring standards in these instances. The ICC's catch-out rule has also come under scrutiny, emphasizing the need for further clarification and consistency in such situations.
The controversial decisions had a significant impact on the match, as Smith's dismissal and Stoinis' wicket led to a disastrous collapse for Australia. They ended up losing the match to South Africa by 134 runs. Australia's hopes for a semi-final spot are now hanging by a thread, with an urgent need to win all their upcoming matches.
