Funny game, cricket, which has now stumbled on its ‘tree in the forest’ conundrum. The age-old philosophical poser is: if a tree falls in a forest and no-one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Now, cricket has: if a wicket falls in a game, and the umpire doesn’t hear an appeal, does it make a dismissal?
The answer is no, according to umpire Gerard Abood. The dilemma came in Australia’s 34-run win over the West Indies in Sunday night’s T20 game in Adelaide.
West Indian batsman Alzarri Joseph hit a ball to Australian captain Mitchell Marsh at extra cover, and ran. Marsh threw at the bowler’s end stumps, where paceman Spencer Johnson collected the ball and took the bails off.
Abood didn’t hear any Australian player appeal. So he didn’t call for a third-umpire verdict.
But ground replays showed Joseph clearly short of his crease and Australia’s players began celebrating what they believed was the last wicket of the game. But Abood was unmoved.
“There was no appeal,” Abood told the Australians.
The Australians were incredulous, Tim David particularly so, telling Abood: “I appealed. This is a joke.”
A host of Australians converged on Abood in protest.
“Guys, we’re getting into really poor territory,” the umpire told the circling Australians. “Get on with the game.”
As the Australians stood in disbelief, the umpire stood by his decision not to make a decision.
“The umpire deemed that no-one had appealed,” Australian century-maker Glenn Maxwell said.
Mitchell Marsh stands with his team as umpire Gerard Abood explains the run out decision for Alzarri Joseph. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
“And there was a few of us that thought we did appeal. That was basically just where the confusion is.
“And to be fair, I understand, it wasn’t like a screaming appeal from everyone. But it was probably one of those things where you sort of just expect it to go up to the third umpire.
“We thought it was pretty close, and there were a few of us sort of putting their hands up. And basically we stopped, thinking that he (Abood) had sent it upstairs.”
Abood hadn’t. But players watched the replay on Adelaide Oval’s large screens thinking he had.
“Everyone was turned around watching the big screen and the batter had already started walking off,” Maxwell said. “It was just confusing … just a weird one, one of those weird rules in cricket.
“We should probably just be a little bit louder with our appeals.”
Abood, by the letter of the law, was correct: if a wicket falls in cricket but an umpire doesn’t hear an appeal, it doesn’t make a dismissal.
That’s by decree of rule 31.1, which states: “Neither umpire shall give a batter out, even though he/she may be out under the laws, unless appealed to by a fielder. This shall not debar a batter who is out under any of the laws from leaving the wicket without an appeal having been made.”
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
Don't thank this weekend umpire whatever you do.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
Yes, Law 31.4 states that " an appeal 'Howzat' covers all ways of being out."
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Don’t have a problem with that, though I’m also not bothered with a clearly incorrect decision being corrected if a replay shows it to be wrong. Understand the point about removing any possibility of bias, however uncommon. Then again I’d also be happy to rip up DRS and put it all in the umpires hands with a goal of maximising correct decisions.
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Is there anything in the Laws that defines what an appeal actually is?
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
On the contrary, if tempo gets his way you would NEVER appeal until you wait for the replay
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Under your suggestion, you will slow the game down. Under your suggestion, you'll also ensure teams DON'T appeal until a replay is shown. We both agree that replays can't be shown while the DRS timer is on. And we both agree that an appeal will trigger the timer (and risk losing a DRS review)...so, therefore, why even appeal? Why trigger the timer? Instead, under your suggestion if a bowler has struck someone on the pad the right tactic is to be completely silent and wait for the replays. No appeal, no DRS timer, and no risking losing an appeal. Because under your suggestion if a team doesn't do that then they are dumb as to be honest. The only tactical choice will be to be absolutely silent. Which obviously is farcical
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
If you get your way, I guarantee the BCCI will not just show a replay, they'll start showing the most favourable replay to get a delayed appeal. How many times do we see a batsmen nicking a ball and no one hearing it, so no one appeals. Under your suggestion, the home broadcaster will immediately show replay, zoomed in, showing contact. 99.9% of all cricket matches are untelevised. If we don't get that advantage, I'm not sure why the professionals should. Shouldn't Johnson as a professional known to have appealed upon breaking the stumps instead of having to wait for a replay?
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Since when does an umpire look at all 11 players when looking for an appeal? Show me just one video of that ever happening.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
I don't blame the umpire here. He can't see or hear everyone. He rightly is focused on the player who broke the stumps and Johnson didn't appeal, which is frankly mystifying. Tim David or Maxwell...if they appealed, then no one heard it except themselves.
Prez
Roar Rookie
Go ahead with the replay. But change rule so that no appeals allowed after a replay. That way home broadcaster can't influence a decision. And if players do keep :"appealing for everything " they will get in trouble as its against the code of conduct to appeal when there isn't a valid reason. Thats why its silly. you simply can't keep appealing for every thing.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
That’s for DRS and it’s written into the playing conditions for that. No similar restrictions are prescribed for regular appeals.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
What’s your point? Professional players also have DRS, TV referrals, higher quality umpires, better equipment, better grounds, and any number of advantages compared to amateurs - all of which have a far greater impact than appealing after seeing a replay once every 10 years or so.
Prez
Roar Rookie
Lol. Wait wait, appeal...
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
You ever in your life seen a delayed run out appeal James?
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Slippery slope then. Fielding teams will just wait for the replay. It's not a good idea at all.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
So you think it's absolutely fine for a professional player to look at a TV replay but the 99% of us who don't have that luxury on a Saturday just have to cop it?
jammel
Roar Rookie
surely this will just lead to more and louder and longer appeals by players in the future?
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
You mean use common sense? Doesn't seem Umpire Abood is too familiar with that...
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Where did Cricinfo say that? The article I can see on their website (https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/aus-vs-wi-2nd-t20i-australia-denied-run-out-in-bizarre-scenes-1420752) says: There is no specific reference to an appeal coming after a replay has been shown on the big screen, although there are protocols around replays not going onto the screen for appeals that may involve the DRS until the 15 seconds have elapsed. There was an occurrence in the recent Australia-South Africa women's ODI series where Australia were denied the chance to review an lbw against Chloe Tryon because the replay had already been put on the screen. The incident in Adelaide did not impact the result of the game which Australia won by 34 runs. That is referring to the protocols around DRS referrals - that you can't refer a DRS after a replay has been shown. Not that you can't appeal in the first instance before a decision has been made. And that's in line with the playing conditions, which only speak to ground replays in respect of DRS, not for a regular appeal. There is no playing condition that speaks to that, so it is permitted under the laws/playing conditions which govern the game.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Maxwell also said he appealed. The ump didn't look at all 11 fielders and if you want to be a stickler and play that game, check the video footage of all 11 fielders to see if any of them appealed.