'That umpire isn't suited to international cricket' - Wanindu Hasaranga tears into umpire over non no-ball call in third T20I

During the third T20I between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Dambulla, Sri Lanka's T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga openly criticized umpire Lyndon Hannibal. It was due to his failure to call a high full toss as a no-ball, a decision that potentially impacted the outcome of the match.

Sri Lanka, having already secured the T20I series, found themselves in a tight spot chasing Afghanistan's target of 210 runs. With 19 runs required off the final over, a controversial umpiring decision stole the spotlight.

Hasaranga minced no words in his criticism of the umpiring decision, stating that such errors shouldn't occur at the international level. The contentious delivery, bowled by Wafadar Momand to Kamindu Mendis, sailed well above waist height, a clear violation of ICC's playing conditions. Despite the obvious breach, the square-leg umpire chose not to call it a no-ball, sparking outrage from the Sri Lankan camp.

"That kind of thing shouldn't happen in an international match, 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," Hasaranga said of the incident.

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The Sri Lankan captain's frustration was palpable as he suggested that umpires who fail to make such elementary calls aren't fit for international cricket.

If the third umpire can check the front-foot no-ball, he should check this kind of no-ball as well - Hasaranga

The hosts were even denied the opportunity to review the decision due to current ICC regulations, which restrict player reviews for umpire decisions not involving potential dismissals.

Kamindu Mendis also questioned the decision and requested a review. The lack of recourse left Sri Lanka facing an uphill battle, needing 11 runs off the last two balls instead of three.

"There was a situation where you could review those calls before, but the ICC has got rid of that, Our batsmen tried to review that. If the third umpire can 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," Hasaranga said.

The controversial call proved decisive as Sri Lanka fell short by three runs, handing Afghanistan their only victory of the tour. Despite winning the series 2-1, Sri Lanka's triumph was marred by the umpiring decision, leaving a bitter aftertaste.

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