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The cricket pundits are not mincing words on giving their opinion on the latest no-ball controversy which erupted during an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Friday (April 22).
Former England star player, Kevin Pietersen, who had also represented Delhi franchise in IPL from 2012-2014, slammed DC skipper Rishabh Pant and assistant coach Pravin Amre for stirring the skirmish over a no-ball that was not adjudged by the field umpire during a tense final over drama against Royals in their IPL match on Friday (April 22).
“It may have disrupted his concentration. It may have disrupted how Rishabh Pant was thinking about the game. That’s more concerning to me than the umpire call, the behaviour of Delhi,” Pietersen told Star Sports.
“I don’t think that would have happened if Ricky Ponting was there. I think Jos Buttler had every right to walk up to Rishabh Pant and say ‘what on earth are you doing?’ to send one of their coaches onto the field and think that was the correct behaviour?
Needing 36 runs from the final over, DC batter Rovman Powell hit three successive sixes from the first three deliveries off Obed McCoy. DC needed another 18 more from the final three deliveries.
At this juncture, Kuldeep Yadav, who was at the non-striker's end, gestured to the umpires demanding that the last delivery be checked for a possible no-ball on height. Powell joined in having a chat with the umpires too. The umpires stood their ground, saying the delivery was legal.
Pant then gestured Powell and Kuldeep to come out though assistant coach Shane Watson tried to reason him out. Another DC coaching staff member Pravin Amre went into the playing arena but was told to go back by the umpires. The match though resumed after a long delay and DC lost by 15 runs.
“We play the gentleman’s game. People make mistakes. How many times have we nicked off or not nicked off and been given out? Been given out LBW when we were not out? Myself and Swanny have played the great game for 20 odd years. And you see stuff like we have seen in the last 30 minutes, it’s not good for the game of cricket. It’s not good at all," Pietersen added.
“I don’t know who they think they are but that was a mistake, that was a huge, huge mistake.
“The biggest mistake is the coach running onto the field and talking to the umpire. I just do not understand the coach, he is a senior figure in those rooms. Rishabh Pant was calling them off. They wanted to walk off. For me, that was unacceptable and I hope I never ever see that again in the game of cricket because that’s not why we play cricket and not how we play cricket,” he further added.
Eventually, the on-field umpire’s call stood and DC went on to lose the match by 15 runs as the break in play seemingly affected Powell’s momentum.
