Analysis

Ten controversial dismissals

Following the controversial dismissal of Inzamam-ul-Haq today, Will Luke and Martin Williamson look at ten decisions which have irked and provoked players and public alike

Following the controversial dismissal of Inzamam-ul-Haq in the second Test, Will Luke and Martin Williamson look at ten decisions which have irked and provoked players and public alike


Dennis Lillee clashed with Sunil Gavaskar at Melbourne © The Cricketer
Sunil Gavaskar, 1981, Australia v India, 3rd Test, Melbourne
The series had been dogged by some inconsistent umpiring which the Indians felt had largely gone against them. Dennis Lillee jagged one back at Sunil Gavaskar and appealed for leg-before - the ball undoubtedly was going on to hit the stumps, but Gavaskar was adamant he had edged it. "We were sure," Lillee recalled. "The only one who had a problem with it was Sunny who, until that day, had never scored runs against me." An incensed Gavaskar then tried to persuade his partner to walk off, and only the intervention of the Indian manager prevented them from forfeiting a Test they went on to win (see Martin Williamson's 1981 Rewind for more on this)
Dean Jones, 1990-91, West Indies v Australia, 2nd Test, Guyana
The "run out" of Dean Jones was a cruel blow to Australia who faced a deficit of 221 runs. Jones was bowled by Courtney Walsh off a no-ball and, with the batsman unaware of the umpire's call, trudged back to the pavilion. Carl Hooper bounded in from slip, picked up the ball and threw down the middle stump and was promptly joined by all his team-mates who appealed for the run out. Despite his batting partner, Allan Border, trying to warn him of the impending danger, Jones couldn't get his bat down quick enough - and the square-leg umpire, Cumberbatch, gave him out.
Chris Broad, 1987, England v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Headingley
Having hit the first ball of the innings for four, Broad was given out in unusual circumstances next ball. Broad let the ball from Imran Khan go through outside his off-stump, withdrew his hand from the bat handle and the ball deflected off his glove - which by then was well clear of the bat. Nevertheless, despite it being not out according to the laws, he was given his marching orders by David Shepherd. Imran finished with 7 for 40, and Pakistan won by and innings and 18 runs.
Chris Broad, 1987-88, Pakistan v England, 1st Test, Lahore
Broad featured again in the 1987-88 series against Pakistan. The first Test was marred by poor decisions against both sides, and England, who began their second innings 217 in arrears, felt they had had more than their fair share. Broad pushed forward to Iqbal Qasim and appeared to miss the ball by inches but was given out caught behind. An incensed Broad refused to budge, shaking his head. " I didn't hit it, I'm not going," shrugged Broad. "You can like it or lump it, I'm staying." After more than a minute was guided off by Graham Gooch, his partner. Worse was to follow soon after at Faisalabad.


Tony Greig runs out Alvin Kallicharran © The Cricketer
Alvin Kallicharran, 1973-74, West Indies v England, 1st Test, Port of Spain
As Bernard Julien played the last ball of the day from Derek Underwood, the players turned towards the pavilion and Alan Knott, the wicketkeeper, flicked the bails off. However, Tony Greig, who was fielding at silly point, noticed that Alvin Kallicharran, the non striker who was on 142, was heading off and threw down the stumps at the bowler's end. With no-one really sure what was happening, Greig appealed and umpire Douglas Sang Hu gave Kallicharran out. Many of the crowd had left and were unaware what had happened, but as the evening went on it became clear this was a major incident in the making. Common sense prevailed and the managers agreed that Kallicharran would be reinstated. He went on to score 158, but Greig's love-hate relationship with Caribbean crowds had been established. (Click here for a Rewind on this incident)
Vinoo Mankad, 1947, Australia v India, 2nd Test, Sydney
One of the more famous incidents, and spawned the phrase "Mankadded." In an early tour match at the SCG, Mankad had warned Australian opener Bill Brown not to back up too far, and when that advice was ignored, had run him out. Opinion was divided as to the fairness of his action. But a month later in the first Test on the same ground, Mankad again ran out Brown, this time with no warning. Brown was livid, but Don Bradman, Australia's captain, calmed the situation by defending the action.
Wayne Phillips, 1985, England v Australia, 1st Test, Headingley
Phillips cut a ball from John Emburey and it ricocheted off silly point Allan Lamb's instep as he took evasive action and lobbed gently to David Gower at silly mid-off. Umpires David Shepherd and David Constant conferred and gave Phillips out, much to the batsman's disgust. While replays suggested that the decision was probably right, in those pre-third umpire days, the Australians justifiably claimed that there was too much doubt.
Sachin Tendulkar, 1998, India v Pakistan, 1st Test, Eden Gardens
The best-attended match in history, with an official crowd of 100,000, was marred by riots following the decision of Sachin Tendulkar when he was run out after colliding with Shoaib Akhtar. Nadeem Khan threw down the stumps and Tendulkar, whose collision cost him vital inches; his bat had been grounded, but his bat had lifted at the time the bails were removed. Cue rioting crowds, which were only calmed when Tendulkar did a walk around the ground; play resumed again after an interruption of 46 minutes.
Andrew Hilditch, 1979, Australia v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Perth
Hilditch was given out handled ball and became the only non-striker to have been given that decision. Hilditch picked up a wayward throw that had dribbled onto the pitch and handed the ball back to Sarfraz Nawaz who appealed and the umpire had to give Hilditch out. This fracas was quite possibly in retaliation for an equally unsavoury incident earlier in the day when Pakistan's No. 11 Sikander Bakht was run out by Alan Hurst at the bowler's end whilst backing up too far - the fourth such instance in Test cricket. Asif Iqbal, who played in the match, said: "I do not want to be associated with such incidents. There was no need for us to stoop so low as to appeal against Hilditch for handling the ball as a non-striker."


Len Hutton looks back as Russell Endean scrambles for the ball © The Cricketer
Len Hutton, 1951, England v South Africa, 5th Test, The Oval
England captain Len Hutton's attempted sweep off Athol Rowan looped up in the air, and as wicketkeeper Russell Endean waited for the catch, Hutton, who later said he thought the ball was going to land on his stumps, flicked it away with his bat. Amid scenes of some confusion - even the commentators were nonplussed for a time - Hutton was eventually given out obstructed the field, the first such dismissal in a Test. Bizarrely, five years later Endean was the first person to be dismissed handled the ball in a Test, against England at Newlands.