MS Dhoni complained for 'unpardonable' failure delaying 2nd T20I against WI

Indian limited-overs skipper MS Dhoni has bitterly complained to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about the delayed start to the second T20I match against West Indies in Florida.

Dhoni called it an “unpardonable” failure of a production house to connect satellite uplinks, which delayed the match by almost an hour. Dhoni’s question was very simple and genuine as he wants to know whether it is within the rules to delay the match because of a satellite failure.

“Dhoni’s argument – based on ICC match guidelines – was that the match should start and not wait for the satellite signals. But the production house and, in turn, the host broadcaster, had a contrarian point of view,” a top BCCI source was quoted saying.

According to the source, Dhoni asked for the match to start but the production house “kept buying time from Dhoni, saying their technicians would be able to fix the problem”. Dhoni accepted it but was “extremely miffed”.

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This is probably the first time, an international match was delayed because of satellite failure. India went on to lose the series as rain interrupted in the second innings after Team India had batted for just 2 overs. If they had played at least 5 overs Duckworth lewis method would have been considered and most likely, India would have won the game. The match was called off and thus West Indies won the series 1-0.

“Dhoni’s argument was simple. He wanted to know if it was within the rules to delay the match because of a satellite failure. He wanted to know what happens to those who are on the ground, and had bought expensive tickets for the match,” the source further said.

In the Indian capital, top advertising honcho Sunil Gupta said, “While the game is important, equally crucial is the cash that goes into setting up the games. Both go hand in hand and one cannot be ignored over the other.”

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“It’s through advertisers’ cash that Indians get to watch world class sports for peanuts, unlike other countries where sports channels come at a premium. You cannot ignore the demands of a channel to delay the match due to a technical glitch,” added Gupta.

However, ICC  said in a press note that it will discuss the incident in its annual workshop for match officials next month. “The officials will be discussing a wide range of topics, including the second T20I in Florida,” the note said.