Yes, it was a Maxwell masterclass, which was an absolute treat to watch, but there was something bizarre that happened during the match in the 19th over. Umpire Gerard Aboud gave a run-out because, according to him, Aussie players didn’t appeal for it.
Here’s what happened: West Indies needed 52 off 10 balls, so there were only formalities left in the game. Alzaari Joseph, the West Indies batter, played the ball through short cover and ran for a single.
Skipper Marsh in the cover picked the ball at good speed and threw it back to the non-striker’s position where Spencer Johnson collected the ball and removed the bails. However, he didn’t appeal for anything and from what appeared on TV, no one else was seen appealing for the run-out.
The rules state that only after an appeal can the on-field umpire send the matter to the third umpire.
Tim David came into the scene, saying, “I appealed,” and when the umpire remained unmoved, he added, “this is a joke, mate.”
Visibly, Australian players weren’t happy about the situation. Things were getting heated because David almost in a warning tone said to umpire Aboud, “You’re better off giving it out.”
Skipper Mitchell Marsh, knowing the complexity of the situation, tried to push away David. On the other hand, someone was heard saying, “That’s the issue, it’s an umpire error.”
On-air commentator Mr. Cricket said, “I agree with Gerard Aboud. Mitch Marsh tried to push Tim David away and say let’s get on with it.”
It is never good to argue with umpires; at some point, the team has to be at the receiving end of the decision regardless of the length or magnitude and intensity of the argument.
That’s why umpire Aboud firmly replied, “This is ridiculous. Can we get on with the game? Guys, we’re getting into really poor territory. Get on with the game.”
So, in the end, Australia won the game by 34 runs, and the bizarre run-out didn’t have any effect on the game. However, if the situation were different, and that run-out could have affected the game, then there would have been different scenes.
