Ashish Ranjan
Saturday, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) clarified the reasoning behind third umpire Marais Erasmus’ decision to signify Ben Duckett not-out after Mitchell Starc took a spectacular catch at fine leg on Day 4 of the second Ashes Test.
Notably, the Australian fast bowler was confident in his chances, but replays revealed that the ball struck the ground as Starc slid around the boundary. Thus, Erasmus turned on the green lights, which confounded the Australian cricketers while captain Pat Cummins argued with the on-field umpires.
Former cricketers such as Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting also criticized Erasmus’ decision from the commentary box. Additionally, social media was abuzz, prompting MCC to issue a statement explaining the reason for the visit. The custodians of cricketing law posted a thread on Twitter stating that the ball struck the ground while Starc was not in complete control, and therefore the third umpire’s decision was correct.
“Law 33.3 specifies that a catch is only valid if the fielder has ‘complete control over the ball and his/her movement.'” Before then, the ball cannot contact the ground. Mitchell Starc was not in control of his movement in this instance because he was still sliding when the ball touched the ground, the MCC explained.
I don’t believe I comprehend the rules well enough to definitively say whether it is right or wrong: Michael Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick, the batting coach for England, stated that he has limited knowledge of the rules, making it difficult for him to clarify the situation. However, he claimed that Starc was not in complete control of the ball, so the umpires ruled that it was not an out.
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“Initially, I thought it appeared attractive from a distance. Consequently, the ball rolls along the earth. However, I do not believe we comprehended the rules at the time. I don’t believe I comprehend the rules well enough to tell you whether it is correct or incorrect.
“However, according to my comprehension and what umpires and other people have said, you must maintain control of the ball and your body until the motion is complete. Obviously, this would be the most difficult aspect of the capture,” Trescothick said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
