'Much better if he did another job' - Wanindu Hasaranga on umpire over non-no-ball call

Sri Lanka’s T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga has claimed that umpire Lyndon Hannibal should find another job. His comments came after Hannibal had considered a high full toss as a legal delivery during a thrilling final over in the third T20I against Afghanistan in Dambulla as well.

Hasaranga’s harsh comments came after Hannibal, the square-leg umpire, did not give a no-ball when Wafadar Momand’s delivery passed batter Kamindu Mendis well above waist height without pitching as well. While Kamindu had shuffled down the pitch, the delivery would have likely come higher than his waist height had he been standing upright in the crease as well. And, this would consider a no-ball as per the ICC’s playing conditions.

Wanindu Hasaranga slams umpire’s decision

“That kind of thing shouldn’t happen in an international match,” Wanindu Hasaranga said while talking about the incident. “If it had been close [to waist height], that’s not a problem. But a ball that’s going so high… it would have hit the batsman’s head if it had gone a little higher. If you can’t see that, that umpire isn’t suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job.”

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However, Sri Lanka needed 11 runs off the last three balls when this happened. As the delivery was considered legal, and Kamindu left the full toss, they ended up requiring 11 runs off the last two. And, After the umpires called it a fair delivery, Kamindu was seen asking for the no-ball and it is understood that they have also requested a review.

However, as per the current ICC playing conditions, players are not allowed to review umpire decisions that do not involve potential dismissals as well. Moreover, Umpires themselves cannot initiate third-umpire reviews on no-balls unless there is a dismissal as well.

Sri Lanka lost the game

“There was a situation where you could review those calls before, but the ICC has got rid of that,” Hasaranga again said. “Our batsmen tried to review that. If the third umpire is able to check the front-foot no-ball, he should check this kind of no-ball as well. There’s no reason why they can’t. They didn’t do even that, so I’m not sure what was going on in his (the square-leg umpire’s) mind at the time.”

The ICC’s playing conditions refer to this kind of no-ball as: “Any delivery, which passes or would have passed, without pitching, above waist height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease…”

Sri Lanka eventually lost the match by three runs to give Afghanistan their only win of the tour, although the hosts won the series 2-1 as well.