Cricket News

Here’s the law that led to Alzarri Joseph’s non-dismissal in the 2nd T20I between Australia and West Indies

During yesterday’s 2nd T20I between Australia and West Indies, Australia missed a crucial run-out opportunity against Alzarri Joseph. Despite being caught well short of his crease, Joseph escaped dismissal due to the Aussies’ lack of an appeal. This incident sparked debate, highlighting the importance of awareness and clear communication.

While replays seemingly confirmed Joseph was out, the absence of an appeal from the fielding side meant the on-field umpire, Gerald Abood couldn’t give it out. This incident serves as a reminder for teams to stay sharp and vocal on the field. A timely appeal, even if the decision goes against them initially, can trigger a review and potentially change the course of the match.

The law that led to Joseph’s reprieve!

According to Law 31.1 framed by the Marylebone Cricket Club, if the player of the fielding team does not appeal, no batter will be given out even if he or she is indeed out.

The Law: Neither umpire shall give a batter out, even though he/she may be out under the Laws unless appealed to by a fielder.  This shall not debar a batter who is out under any of the Laws from leaving the wicket without an appeal having been made.

In the aftermath of the controversial run-out miss, Australian all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell offered his perspective. He clarified that the team did appeal, but it was not loud enough, believing the close call would automatically trigger a third umpire review. While acknowledging the unusual nature of the rule, Maxwell ultimately expressed relief that it didn’t have a decisive impact on the match outcome.

“I think the umpire deemed that no one had appealed, and there was a few of us that thought we did appeal. It wasn’t like it was a screaming appeal from everyone, but it was probably one of those things where you expect it to go up to the third umpire; we thought it was pretty close, and there were a few of us putting our hands up. Thank God it didn’t cost the game. Just one of those weird rules in cricket, we should probably just be a bit louder with our appeals,” he said.