Following is an excerpt of the LBW law relevant to this post.
Law 36d part ii
“or outside the line of the off stump, if the striker has made no genuine attempt to play the ball with his bat”
Now this is something that’s been bugging me for many years, and last night I saw the perfect example of why.
Sure it’s struck the pad outside the line of off, but if Ganguly was really playing a shot then his bat wouldn’t be hiding behind his freaking pad. I know these appeals usually go to the batsman (Aleem Dar’s randomness aside), and I know it’s not unique to Ganguly – all international batsmen use this as a way to negate spinners.
This sort of play is a blatant attempt to take advantage from the lbw law, and umpires should stamp out this behaviour.
To spell it out, “A genuine attempt to play the ball” is one whereby the batsman genuinely attempts to hit the ball. If the toe of the bat ends up in the arch of a batsman’s foot with the face of the bat completely hidden behind a pad, then no such genuine attempt has been made, and as such LBW should be back on the table. In the example shown the ball was on track to hit middle stump halfway up, which for me would be Sayonara Sourav.
Were the MCC to come out and announce that they were looking for this law to be interpreted as written, we would have a more exciting game of cricket, especially on 5th days of tests. Batsmen can no longer hide behind their pads for anything outside the line, more balls would be played at, more wickets would fall, and more tests would end with a result.
Oh, a little treat at the end is Zaheer Khan talking about raising his bar, something we should all endevour to do.
Get over it! Its a draw, quit clutching at straws. Take the moral victory if it soothes!
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Read my article again, it’s not bitching about this particular example or saying it cost us the match.
I’m pointing out an exploitation of the laws that happens in most matches that I believe should be stamped out.
This example of Ganguly from yesterday shows it well, and it’s easy to despise Ganguly so that helps my point… but it’s a behaviour prevalent in every match.
To be honest, it’s something that should help India a lot more than Australia in this series, considering Michael Clarke is our Off Spinner.
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I’ve seen those being given to be frank. I mean bat behind pad fakes, I’ve seen them being given. So i guess it depends on the umpire’s interpretation.
Let’s face it, you just wanted Ganguly out!
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Of course I wanted Ganguly out, as I would want Ponting or any other batsmen out if he played this shot. Ok I probably wanted Ganguly out more, but that isn’t my point in this case.
I’d rather see it as the norm rather than the exception – had Ganguly escaped this example he should consider himself lucky rather than crafty.
are you the same anonymous commenter that was on cricketwithballs this morning?
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You aussies are SISSIES
Cry babies!!!
Biggest cheaters in the world.
You people are such losers that u cant stand a small comment on yourself.
Asian kids are more sensible than the likes of Ponting, Symonds, etc
come on…. continue yapping on this comment too!!!
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Anon,
You’ve had a busy day.
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I love the irony of being called a sissy by an anoymous poster
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Slight irony in the yapping comment too I thought.
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let me just say that that anon was not me (the original one), and i don’t fully subscribe to his/her views.
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It sucks being anonymous on the internet!
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Well register a freaking google account then! Pretty bloody easy to do and people might actually pay attention to what you say.
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I’d like to see the outside the line rule scrapped completely.
The bat is in your hands for a reason. If the bowler is good enough to beat you and the ump reckons it will hit the stumps then you should be on your way.
I’ve played in matches where the ump would let the batsman get away with hiding the bat behind the pad a couple of times but if you kept it up, he’d just send you on your way.
I can remember a game where the ump told the batsman after he gave him out, ‘You’ve got a bloody bat mate ’bout time you learned to use it’.
I seem to remember that Darrel Hair gave Jimmy Adams out LBW after he continually padded up to Warne.
Chappelli, Lawry and Tony Greig all applauded the decision. Richie just raised one eyebrow.
I miss Darrell. He didn’t take any crap.
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Get rid of the pitched outside leg while they’re at it !
I agree on Darell Hair, he was always my favourite umpire, which is why I’ve imortalised him in the Beer and Sport Banner
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I asked my mate who is an umpire his thoughts on the matter
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Very few umpires would give that out.
Many batsman play a legitimate attempt at a shot where the bat winds up behind the pad, simply because they misread the line of the ball and adjusted (poorly).
Hence as an umpire I could not argue beyond doubt that the batsman had no intention of playing a shot.
Having said that I (of course) don’t believe that a genuine shot was actually played. I just can’t argue that beyond doubt, and hence would have to rule in favour of the batsman, as per the laws.
Full credit to the umpire too, (was it the Paki fellow?) because frankly, anyone would enjoy sending Ganguly on his ugly way.
Cheers M
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