Pakistan vs Australia: Third umpire's controversial decision costs the visitors D'Arcy Short's wicket

Pakistan and Australia played out a thrilling game in Dubai in the second T20I as the hosts sealed the series with one match to go. Chasing 148 runs to win, the visitors were left reeling at 73/6 after which Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Coulter-Nile valiantly till the last over only to fall agonisingly short by 11 runs. However, things were heated in the middle during the third over though when the third umpire adjudged D’Arcy Short run-out despite not having conclusive evidence.

The incident took place in the third over when Aaron Finch smashed back the flatter delivery down the ground which hit the stumps. The ball though, on its way back, clipped Imad Wasim’s hands and with Short backing up, the decision went to the third umpire. It was a close run-out chance and with one angle Short’s bat was grounded while the other suggested something different.

Clearly, there was an element of doubt and the decision should’ve gone the batsman’s way. But the TV umpire Asif Yaqoob thought the other way around and gave him out which left Finch fuming. He argued with the on-field umpires but to no avail as the decision stood.

Maxwell questions the decision

In the post-match press conference, it was clear that Glenn Maxwell wasn’t pleased at all with the third umpire’s decision and also tried to joke that he pressed the wrong button. “We certainly had a view as a team that we thought his bat was clearly grounded behind the line. Maybe the third umpire pressed the wrong button. We’ve all made mistakes.

“As we probably saw it in the change rooms, there wasn’t really any doubt. I think if you even look at the way he’s holding his bat, it’s very hard to hold it above the line with the bat sitting out of his gloves,” he said.

Sarfraz Ahmed, on the other hand, was bemused with so much talk around the dismissal as he was adamant that the bat wasn’t grounded. “I don’t know why (there was) so much reaction because clearly it is out. The bat is not on the ground,” the Pakistan captain said.

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