‘Get a grip’: Spirit of cricket debate erupts after ‘embarrassing’ wicket in U19 Cricket World Cup

“Get a grip” was Stuart Broad’s response as the cricket world reacted in disbelief to a controversial dismissal in the U19 Cricket World Cup game overnight between England and Zimbabwe.

England surged to a comfortable 146-wicket victory despite being on the wrong end of the contentious call in question, which came from the third umpire in the 17th over.

Hamza Shaikh, England’s No. 4 batsman, was dismissed after he picked up a stationary ball — seemingly assuming it was dead — and threw the ball to Ryan Kamwemba having first gestured to the Zimbabwean wicketkeeper that he was about to do so.

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What looked to be a classy act of sportsmanship quickly instead became a controversial moment that had Broad and another former England Test cricketer up in arms as Kamwemba appealed for Shaikh to be dismissed for obstructing the field.

The delivery itself had caught the inside edge of Shaikh’s bat, with the ball dropping just in front of the stumps but short of hitting the wicket itself.

Law 37.4 of cricket states: “Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he/she uses the bat or any part of his/her person to return the ball to any fielder.”

While the wicket may have been admissible by the letter of the law, the general consensus among the cricket world was that common sense should have prevailed.

“We have a way of kicking ourselves between the legs in this great game we love,” TalkSport commentator and former England fast bowler Steve Harmison said before a replay was even shown.

“Umpires have got to have more power and sway in the game – common sense doesn’t always come into officiating — I don’t know why. Common sense would get on so much better if we had some.”

“I’m sorry that’s a shocker,” he added after seeing the replay.

“If you’re getting given out for that then the game’s gone, it really has. How can an umpire give that out?”

Shaikh’s dismissal brought back memories of a similar incident in the 2018 U19 World Cup when South Africa opener Jiveshan Pillay was given out ‘obstructing the field’.

Former West Indian paceman Ian Bishop said on Fox Sports at the time that Pillay should not have been dismissed given the ball had stopped before the batter picked it up.

“This was is an unfortunate issue,” Bishop said.

“The batsman isn’t trying to gain an advantage. He is not trying to being unfair.

“The umpires have done what they need to do. The ball has stopped. It’s not threatening the stumps. I don’t really necessarily feel as if that’s a good law. It could take a re-look.

“The batsman is not trying to gain an unfair advantage. All he is trying to do is help out the fielding team.

“I would have to have a deeper look at myself if I was the fielding captain. Can I use some discretion here for the game of the game and whatever the spirit of the game means? I wouldn’t have gone that way.

“He’s obviously a bright kid and he understands the letter of the law. On this occasion it’s slightly different for me compared to the last World Cup.”