India vs Pakistan: No ball controversy: Who said what on Virat Kohli, umpires

In a dramatic final over at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), India registered a famous win over Pakistan in a Super 12 contest of the T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday (October 23).

The last over bowled by Mohammad Nawaz had a lot of drama – wicket, six, no ball, free hit, Virat Kohli bowled off a free hit, byes, and finally, Ravichandran Ashwin hit the winning run off the final ball.

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With India needing 13 off 3 balls, Nawaz bowled a waist-high full toss which was hit for a six. Initially, the umpires did not call it a no ball but only did it after Kohli asked.

Virat Kohli’s game-changing six is the #NissanPOTD winner from Day 8 of the #T20WorldCup 🎉 pic.twitter.com/uIbQr7UNV9

— ICC (@ICC) October 24, 2022

This call did not go down well with Pakistani players and even though they protested with on-field umpires, the call was not reversed.

After this, social media was abuzz with for and against arguments over the no ball call. Former Pakistan cricketers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Moin Khan and Shoaib Malik shared their views.

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“The ball seemed to dip but it is kind of touch and go. To the naked eye, it did not seem like a no ball but in slow-motion, it does seem like it dipped … Any batsman will turn and ask for no ball. That is not his (Kohli’s) fault. Such a big game. You have the technology. Use it. Why flare up things unnecessarily?” Akram said on A Sports.

A packed MCG chanting for Virat Kohli 🏟

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Goosebumps. #T20WorldCup | #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/MNjmOLKO7r

— ICC (@ICC) October 23, 2022

“When the ball is about waist-high, the square-leg umpire’s first reaction is that he takes his hand out, extends his right hand. That is his natural reaction. But if you look at the replays, he (Marius Erasmus) turns around to see the ball. Then after Virat Kohli asked for it … I am not saying and I don’t want to say it’s a no ball or not. I don’t want to get into that controversy. But the umpire (Marius Erasmus the square-leg umpire) should have called it there and then. It was Virat Kohli’s right to ask for the no-ball and he should do it. The leg umpire should have consulted the main umpire and they should have gone upstairs. That’s why the third umpire is sitting there. It should have been left to him – he could call it no-ball, six whatever…,” said Younis.

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Malik said, “When you have an option, you should take help from the third umpire, especially in such a big match at a crunch situation. Anyone can make a mistake but they should have consulted the third umpire. If the decision was taken after the replays which we saw it would have been better.”

“Replay shows it was certainly a no ball but these decisions, the umpire should check with the third umpire. The mistake here is that they didn’t take help from the third umpire,” Khan told Geo Super.

Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg tweeted, “Why was no ball not reviewed, then how can it not be a dead ball when Kohli was bowled on a free hit.”

Why was no ball not reviewed, then how can it not be a dead ball when Kohli was bowled on a free hit. #INDvPAK #T20worldcup22 pic.twitter.com/ZCti75oEbd

— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg) October 23, 2022

Akhtar tweeted with an image of the no ball call and wrote, “Umpire bhaiyo, food for thought aaj raat k liye.”

Umpire bhaiyo, food for thought aaj raat k liye 😉 pic.twitter.com/vafnDG0EVd

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) October 23, 2022