"This is a World Cup, not some gully cricket tournament" - Harbhajan Singh after DRS controversy in PAK vs SA tie

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh recently expressed his displeasure over the umpire's call being considered final in certain DRS decisions.

Harbhajan pointed out how South Africa's Tabraiz Shamsi survived a close LBW call. The batter was stuck on the pads and given not out by the on-field official. While Pakistan opted for a review, the decision was not overturned because of the umpire's call rule.

He argued that a batter should be given out even if the ball is just slightly clipping the stumps. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan Singh explained:

"Pakistan did everything right, but the umpires committed a blunder. If the umpire's call is going to be the final call, then what's the need to use technology? Rassie van der Dussen was given out by the umpire because the ball was clipping the stumps. Then, when Tabraiz Shamsi was batting, the ball was still clipping the stumps, but the umpire gave it as not out."

"If one ball is hitting the stumps, then you are out, and when another ball is hitting the stumps, you are not out," he added. "What is this drama? Who has made such a rule? Even if you play gully cricket, you are out if the ball hits the stumps.

"Even as per the laws, if the ball touches the stumps, you are out. It doesn't matter how much it has touched the stumps."

It is worth mentioning that Pakistan needed just one wicket to win when Shamsi survived the LBW call. The Men in Green ultimately suffered a heartbreaking one-wicket loss.

Harbhajan Singh further stated that the rule must be changed. He opined that if the ball clipping the stumps is deemed not out due to the umpire's call, then a batter should not be given out if the ball has just hit his edge and gone into the hands of the keeper. He added:

"This is nonsense. I don't understand the kind of umpiring that has been happening. This is a World Cup, not some gully cricket tournament. In fact, things are better than this in gully cricket."

"If this is the rule, then if the ball has taken the edge of the bat, a batter should not be given out caught if the umpire has adjudged it not out," Harbhajan continued. "The ball won't go into the keeper's hands after hitting the middle of the bat. I will go there because of an edge, right? What are these rules?"

The umpiring in the ongoing 2023 World Cup has come under the scanner following some questionable decisions. In the same Pakistan-South Africa match, Rassie van der Dussen was given out in a controversial fashion.

The ball-tracking initially showed that the ball was missing the stumps. However, it later changed to umpire's call in the subsequent replay.

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"Bad umpiring and bad rules cost Pakistan this game" - Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to change the rule related to the umpire's call in DRS. He suggested that a decision should be made on the basis of technology after review, regardless of whether the on-field official has given it out or not out.

Taking to micro-blogging platform X, he wrote:

"Bad umpiring and bad rules cost Pakistan this game.. @ICC should change this rule .. if the ball is hitting the stump that’s out whether umpire gave out or not out doesn’t matter.. otherwise what is the use of technology???"

Harbhajan stated that the ICC should either go with what the technology says or what the umpire's call is. He reckoned that taking both things into consideration while making a decision is not the right move.

He wrote:

"This isn’t right .. either u use technology or stick to umpires decisions SIMPLE ! In the same game ball hitting the stump twice once given out and once not out ..what r you showing the whole world ? Who’s making the mistakes umpire or technology? Why hv them both ? Need to decide which one is right . UMPIRE OR TECHNOLOGY?"

Babar Azam and company slumped to their fourth straight loss in the showpiece event. With two wins from six games, they are currently placed sixth in the points table.