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Last three balls, 11 runs were needed and a bowler bowls a no-ball to a set batter. The dynamic of the game changes as the batter needs to score 10 runs off three balls with the next delivery being a free hit. But Sri Lanka batter Kamindu Mendis was robbed of that chance in the thrilling high-scoring run chase against Afghanistan on February 22. Afghan pacer Wafadar Momand bowled an above-waist height no-ball but it was not called. Frustrated at the umpire’s decision, Kamindu asked for a no-ball review which was not available. Following the three-run loss, skipper Wanindu Hasaranga lashed out at the umpire Lyndon Hannibal saying that he is not fit to officiate on the international stage.
"That kind of thing shouldn't happen in an international match," Hasaranga said of the incident as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. "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.”
Hasaranga wants review for no-balls
The current ICC playing conditions do not allow the batter to review the umpire's decisions until and unless he is given out. The same goes for umpire barring when the batter is dismissed. Hasaranga pointed out that the option should be available for batters.
"There was a situation where you could review those calls before, but the ICC has got rid of that," the 26-year-old 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."
Kamindu’s fightback in vain
Kamindu kept Sri Lanka alive in the run chase in the middle overs. He hit a six off the final ball of the innings but could take Sri Lanka's score to 206/6, four runs short of the target. In the end, he remained unbeaten for 65 off 39 balls featuring seven fours and a couple of sixes.
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