T20 World Cup: Debate on ‘no ball’ and ‘free hit’ in Pakistan
Although Kohli’s unbeaten knock in the first match of the T20 World Cup between Pakistan and India gave India victory, some Pakistani fans are still seen angry with some decisions of the umpires in the last over.
In the ICC T20 World Cup on Sunday, Rohit Sharma invited Pakistan to bat after winning the toss. Batting first, Pakistan gave India a target of 160 runs.
Pakistan’s batting was in trouble after the wickets of opener captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan fell but half-centuries from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed took over the innings.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s fast bowlers took India’s wickets in the beginning and brought them on the back foot. After the loss of four wickets, there was a 113-run partnership between Kohli and Pandya, which took the match to the last over.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam had used all his fast bowlers in search of wickets. After all, 16 runs were left to defend and spinner Mohammad Nawaz was in front.
last over Nawaz’s over kept Pakistani and Indian fans glued to their seats. Nawaz had to save 16 runs in six balls and Kohli and Pandya were present in front of him on a partnership of 113 runs.
On the very first ball, he caught Pandya out. Babar Azam took this catch and he was happy seeing the victory close. Now comes Dinesh Karthik who is considered a good finisher at the crease. Under the new rules of T20, Dinesh Karthik had to come to the striker’s end.
Karthik scored one run on Nawaz’s first ball and Kohli scored two runs on the next ball.
But the turn of the match changed when Kohli hit a six off the fourth ball. It was a full toss ball and the umpire signaled a free hit, calling it a no ball as it was above the waist.
Pakistani Captain Babar Azam was very unhappy with this decision.
Nawaz bowled Kohli on a free hit ball, but since the ball was bowled in lieu of a no ball, Kohli was completely safe. The ball hit the wicket and went back towards the boundary and the Indian batsmen ran for three runs. For this, the umpire indicated the run of the bye.
On the fifth ball, Rizwan stumped Karthik. On the arrival of Ashwin, Nawaz threw another wide, after which Ashwin gave India victory by taking a run in the last ball.
Could it have been a no ball?
After the end of the match, a debate broke out in Pakistan regarding the fourth ball bowled in the last over. No Ball and Cheating started trending on social media.
Former Australian cricketer and commentator Brad Hogg, sharing the picture of this no ball, wrote, ‘Why (Pakistan) did not take a review on this no ball. When Kohli was bowled on a free hit, why was it not called a dead ball?
Many pro-Pakistan cricket fans started writing their comments by sharing this tweet of Brad Hogg.
Cricketer Ayman Anwar says that ‘No ball, free hit, bowled, three runs’. It is as if England won the World Cup with the most number of boundaries. Sometimes the rules of the gentle game are too strict.
Anirudh Guha says that ‘It seems that the script of the last over has been written by Salim Javed.’
A user named Ray has a question that Virat Kohli was out of the crease and the ball was on West Height. The bowler was also a spinner. It was a wrong no ball and Virat got clean bowled on the next ball. If he was not out on a free hit, it should have been a dot ball.
Dr Nauman Niaz, while sharing the rules of cricket, has written that if a batsman is caught out on a free hit, he can run and score runs and the score is added to his total. And even if the ball hits the wicket after hitting the bat, a run can be taken.
“But if that player is bowled straight, he can run and take a run and it is added as an extra.”
