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Usman Khawajas Controversial Dismissal Copped A Lot Of Flack From All Around In A Tight Knockout Game

Usman Khawaja’s controversial dismissal copped a lot of flack from all around in a tight knockout game

Sydney Thunder were chasing 185 against the buoyant Strikers to claim the place in the Challenger in quest of the title. After 6.2 overs the Thunder were well placed at 56-1 with in-form Khawaja and Sangha at the crease. What unfolded the next ball eventually changed the complexion of the game.

Khawaja got a thick outside edge off Matt Short, and the ball floated towards short third where Fawad Ahmed was stationed. Fuzzy dove forward, collected the ball and started celebrating, while Khawaja stood his ground certain that the ball was grassed.

Much to everyone’s surprise that the on-field umpire gave a soft signal of “OUT” before proceeding to the third umpire for review. The third umpire, after looking at a few angles, did not find conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field call despite one angle indicating the ball hitting the ground. The decision remained out and the fulcrum of Thunder’s batting had to depart.

Khawaja himself made some stern remarks about the decision,

“I thought at the end of the day the soft signal cost me. I’ve never been a big fan of the soft signal.”

“When they give it out on the field it makes it hard to overturn.”

“I said to the umpires on the field that I can’t believe a blade of grass didn’t touch the ball because that is all it takes.”

“It looked like a blade of grass 100 per cent touched the ball. I’ll accept the umpire’s decision, but I don’t agree with it.”

Even on Fox Commentary Michael Vaughan and Mark Howards were not very satisfied with the decision and expressed their dissent on comms. Vaughan additionally added his thoughts on the soft signal,

“I am not a fan off the soft signal of out”

“I’m sure the fingers were around the ball but I’m not sure they were under the ball.” remarked Vaughan

Whereas, Mark Howard believed that it was crucial to the outcome of the game.

“This is an enormous moment in this game,” Howard exclaimed.

Umpiring in the BBL has come under massive scrutiny in this season as well as the previous one with some really controversial calls over the two seasons. The absence of DRS as well due to budget restrictions doesn’t concur well with the growth of the tournament.

Overall, umpiring calls like these at the end of the day leave a sour taste to fans and players alike.

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Babar Azam thanks his team after being crowned ICC ODI Men’s cricketer of the year 2021

The International Cricket Council announced Pakistan captain Babar Azam as the ODI Men’s cricketer of the Year 2021. In his thank-you speech for the honours, Babar thanked the team for their brilliant support saying that he could not have received it without the support of his teammates. The 26-year-old who scored 405 runs in six ODI matches in 2021 at an average of 67.50 with two centuries in his kitty also thanked his fans and parents for their support. “Firstly I would like to thank the fans for their overwhelming support and next I would thank the PCB and ICC as well. My team members especially deserve thank you because without their belief in me, it wouldn’t have been possible and I would also like to thank my parents because they have prayed a lot for my success,” said Babar. Asked as to what his best innings of the year, the Pak skipper said, “It would have to the century against England. It is also my highest score in ODIs and more than that, it was something that I needed in my armoury more than anything else at that point. I was going through a bit of a lean patch.” Babar outweighed the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Paul Stirling and recipient of the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2021 award, South Africa’s Janneman Malan to win this. On the other hand, South Africa Women’s opener Lizelle Lee, who scored 632 runs in 11 matches at an average of 90.28 with one century and five half-centuries was awarded the ODI Women’s cricketer of the year 2021. Lee in her acceptance speech said, “To be honest with you, I didn’t expect this. This award could have gone to anybody and I feel privileged to have won this in a very tough and competitive pool of players.” Lee defeated West Indies’ Hayley Matthews, England’s Tammy Beaumont and Pakistan’s Sana Fatima in the race to the crown of the Women’s ODI cricketer of the year.

Smriti Mandhana, Shaheen Afridi crowned ICC Women’s and Men’s cricketers of 2021

The International Cricket Council revealed in two consecutive social media posts across all platforms that India’s Smriti Mandhana and Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi are crowned the ICC Women’s and Men’s cricketers of the year for 2021 respectively. While Mandhana defeated tough competitors in form of England’s Tammy Beaumont, Ireland’s Gaby Lewis and South Africa’s Lizelle Lee to grab the most revered Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Afridi competed against the likes of England skipper Joe Root, World Test Championship winning captain Kane Williamson and compatriot Mohammad Rizwan to win a tightly contested battle for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. Afridi, who took 78 wickets in 36 international matches throughout the year with the best figures of 6/51 and at an average of 22.00, said that he was thrilled to be bestowed upon such a great honour at such a young age. "My only endeavour was to try and perform as best as possible for my nation and in 2021 Pakistan did in all formats," said the Afridi. "The current team gels together and finds joy in each other's performances. But the most memorable match this year for me would remain the T20 World Cup encounter against India. It was a historical game and I was happy to have performed so well in it," the 22-year-old added. While Afridi is the fourth Pakistani to have won an ICC award this year after Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Sana Fatima, Mandhana on the other hand, is the lone India representative at the annual cricketing honours. Through the year in 2021, the 25-year-old scored 855 runs in 22 internationals at an average of 38.86 with one century which came in a historic Test against Australia Women and five half-centuries that came against Australia, England and South Africa across formats.

Brendan Taylor reveals horrific details of being coerced to spot fix by Indian businessmen

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has come out and revealed how his life has been hell on a personal and professional level for the past two years, ever since he visited India in 2019. Taylor, who retired from international cricket in 2021 while on a tour of Scotland and Ireland with his national team, said that he is now admitting himself to a rehabilitation centre to get all the negativity and toxicity that the incident that happened in India has infused in him ever since. In a four-page letter uploaded on his official Twitter handle on January 24, Taylor has detailed how in October 2019 he was approached by an Indian businessman who offered to pay him USD$15,000 to come to India and discuss a potential T20 league in Zimbabwe and the various sponsorships associated with it. The 35-year-old further reveals in the letter that he took the bait because he was not paid by Zimbabwe Cricket for six months back then and there was no financial security considering that the cricket administration in Zimbabwe was going through turmoil then. But it was during his visit that he was served cocaine in India and then six people made a video of him doing that and asked him to do spot-fixing, saying that they would give USD$20,000 more on completion of the assignment. Taylor admitted that he took the money just so that he can return back home because he feared his life was in danger. But ever since, he was not on his level best and it was only after four months since the incident that Zimbabwe batter reported it to ICC. In his letter, Taylor further says that he hoped ICC would understand the delay given how he was concerned about his own and his family’s safety. But the second-highest run-getter for the African nation in ODIs said that ICC was right in not granting him any leverage and now that his findings are to be published and he is to be banned from international cricket for several years, it was only right that he told his version of the story. He said that he now feels very relieved even as he walks into the rehab centre that he has his four children, his wife and his loyal friends and family members beside him as his support through all this. Taylor represented Zimbabwe in 284 internationals ever since making his debut in 2004 till his last game in 2021, making a total of 9938 runs across formats. He has to his credit 17 centuries and 57 half-centuries.

Joe Root crowned ICC Test cricketer of the year 2021

The International Cricket Council revealed that England’s Test skipper Joe Root was declared the winner for the ICC Test cricketer of the year 2021. In a tough battle for the title, Root, who scored a mammoth 1708 runs in 15 matches with the help of six centuries, defeated India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson and Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne in the race. Root, who hit two double centuries in the year gone by one each against Sri Lanka and India in Asian conditions and also hit 186 and 180* against both the countries as well to show his calibre and the depth of his batting. With the ball too the Englishman was handy, picking up 14 wickets in the 15 matches and it included a five-wicket haul against India in Ahmedabad as well. Speaking after receiving the award, Root said, “I am incredibly proud to have received the award. I am very humbled to be in the same breath as a number of great players of the past. I’d like to say a massive thank you to my teammates, my family and my coaches as well as to all the supporters for the support we have had this year.” Talking about his favourite innings, the 31-year-old said that it would have to be his double hundred against India in Chennai which also came in his 100th Test, so it will live long in his memory.