Published 13:15 IST, December 24th 2020
Shane Warne FUMES on-air after yet another BBL 2020 umpiring howler
Former Australia cricketer Shane Warne lost his cool after yet another blunder by the on-field umpire in the 10th season of the Big Bash League.
The Big Bash League has established itself as a prominent T20 competition amongst all the other franchise-based cricket leagues. The Australian tournament is especially known for the path-breaking new advancements that they introduce to the game. However, the ongoing 10th season (BBL 2020) has come under the scrutiny of cricket pundits as they have identified a grave concern that could possibly sabotage the popularity of the competition.
BBL 2020: Shane Warne urges Cricket Australia to introduce DRS
Shane Warne lost his cool at the umpire after yet another error in judgment by the on-field official in the league. It all happened in the 13th match of the season where Adelaide Strikers took on the Brisbane Heat. While chasing the total of 151, Brisbane did lose a few early wickets. However, middle-order batsman Tom Cooper attempted to steady the ship for this side.
The player scored a steady 22 and threatened to take the game away from the opposition. It all transpired in the twelfth over of innings. Tom Cooper attempted to hit a reverse sweep on Danny Briggs' second ball of the over, but could only get an underage and the ball crashed on to his front pad. Surprisingly, after an appeal from the bowling team, umpire Tony Wilds adjudged the batsman out.
Australian legend, Shane Warne, who was on-air when the incident took place, was livid at the error. He mentioned how the introduction of the DRS is essential if they intend to take the competition seriously. The ex-cricketer stated that he did feel for the umpire after the error, but suggested that Cricket Australia must pay for the DRS technology and use it in the T20 League if they want to improve the league's standings amongst other global tournaments.
During the 12th match of the season, another such umpiring incident triggered outrage from the cricket fraternity. Left-handed batsman, Usman Khawaja, survived a massive nick in the sixth over of the match. Andrew Tye's first ball of the over took an edge of Usman Khawaja's bat and went straight to the wicket-keeper. However, the umpire reckoned that the bat had hit the ground, and hence did not rule the batsman out.
BBL points table:
Hobart Hurricanes, with 11 points, sit comfortably at the top of the table. Melbourne Stars are just one point behind the table-toppers and they occupy the second position. Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers are the other two teams who are currently in the top four of the BBL points table. Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers are the bottom two teams who are yet to register their maiden victory in the league.
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Image source: Shane Warne Instagram
Updated 13:15 IST, December 24th 2020