#1. Kumar Dharmasena
Kumar Dharmasena, a former Sri Lankan cricketer turned umpire, has been engaged in several controversial decisions during his career. His selections caused heated debate and raised questions among cricket fans.
Dharmasena was involved in one of the most significant incidents during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand. Dharmasena’s judgment to award England six runs (including four overthrows) after a throw from the field unintentionally touched the bat of a diving Ben Stokes and deflected to the boundary was strongly scrutinized in a thrilling encounter that finished in a tie. Many thought that he misunderstood the rules, and this assessment was crucial to England’s final victory.
Other Controversial Umpires in Cricket History
Along with the above umpires, other umpires have also made some controversial decisions including Shakoor Rana, Ross Emerson, Tony Crafter, Ashoka de Silva, and Joel Wilson. These umpires sometimes had a big impact on the results of matches and made decisions that had players, coaches, and fans scratching their heads.
These are just a few of the most controversial cricket umpires in history. Even the best umpires sometimes make mistakes since umpiring is a challenging profession. However, the decisions made by these umpires have had an impact on the results of games and have sparked controversial discussions about the fairness of the game.
For generations, controversy and cricket have coexisted. Umpires, like players, are flawed individuals who make mistakes in judgment. The problems surrounding these umpires demonstrate the intense scrutiny and considerable stress they experience in their job as stewards of the game’s integrity.
It’s important to remember that, despite the fact that some of the umpires featured may have made poor choices, they have also made a lot of good decisions over their careers. The fairness and spirit of the game are maintained in large part by the umpires and all of their judgments whether right or wrong are weaved into the colorful tapestry of cricketing history.
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