World Cup final mired in ICC rule controversies

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World Cup final mired in ICC rule controversies

Tuesday, 16 July 2019 | PTI | New Delhi/ London/Melbourne

World Cup final mired in ICC rule controversies

Former umpires, cricketers rap 6 runs in overthrow, boundary-count rule

After cricketers, current and former, shared New Zealand's pain on losing the World Cup title on boundary countback with tournament top-scorer Rohit Sharma asking for a "serious look" into the rule, which was slammed as "absurd" by several former players, England skipper Eoin Morgan said players "do not have control over the rules" set by the ICC.

Earlier, when New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was asked if the rule was a fair way to decide a World Cup final winner, he admitted it was hard to swallow. "I suppose you never thought you would have to ask that question and I never thought I would have to answer it (smiling)," was Williamson's reaction.

Meanwhile, former international umpires Simon Taufel and K Hariharan on Monday said officials standing in the World Cup final erred in awarding six runs, instead of five, to England for an overthrow, an observation that the ICC refused to comment on.  "It's a clear mistake.. It's an error of judgment. They (England) should have been awarded five runs, not six," Taufel, a five-time ICC Umpire of the Year, told foxsports.Com.Au.

In a pulsating encounter in the final, England were adjudged the winners of the world Cup on the basis of their superior boundary count — 22 fours and two sixes — to New Zealand's 16 after the epic final, and also the ensuing Super Over, ended in a tie.

"Some rules in cricket definitely needs (sic) a serious look in," tweeted Rohit on Monday. Rohit amassed 648 runs in the tournament, including five hundreds, before India were knocked out in the semifinal stage.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, who is now a parliamentarian, lambasted the ICC for the "ridiculous" rule.  "Don't understand how the game of such proportions, the #CWC19Final, is finally decided on who scored the most boundaries. A ridiculous rule @ICC. Should have been a tie. I want to congratulate both @BLACKCAPS & @englandcricket on playing out a nail biting Final," Gambhir wrote on his twitter handle.

Gambhir's former teammate Yuvraj Singh also disagreed with the rule. "I don't agree with that rule ! But rules are rules congratulations to England on finally winning the World Cup, my heart goes out for the kiwis they fought till the end. Great game an epic final !!!! #CWC19Final," he wrote.

Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris called the ICC a joke. "Nice work @ICC ... You are a joke!!!," he wrote.

Former Australian pacer Brett Lee called for a change in the rule. "I've got to say that it's a horrible way to decide the winner. This rule has to change," he tweeted.

Kyle Mills, who was part of the 2015 team which lost its first-ever World Cup final to Australia, felt that the decision could have been on the basis of wickets lost. "I guess the game of cricket is about runs and wickets and when the runs are tied, it'd be ideal then to take it back to how many wickets were lost," he said.

 

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