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Vaughan Ignores Cummins and Head, Picks '50-Year-Old' As a 'Star' in World Cup Final

image-lpdi8xisVaughan’s Picks Richard Kettleborough [twitter]

A little under a week ago, the Men in Yellow scripted history by trashing India in the blockbuster World Cup 2023 finale at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was heartbreak for the home side who were completely outfoxed by Cummins and his men on all fronts. The Australian bowlers bowled tight lines and gave very little away while at the same time maintaining high standards on the field. In the end, it was Travis Head who smashed a stellar century of 137 (130) to singlehandedly gun down India by 6 wickets.

While there were many top performers from the Australian camp, former English cricketer Michael Vaughan took everyone by surprise when he omitted all the Australian players and instead named on-field umpire Richard Kettleborough as the star of the World Cup final.


During his interaction with Adam Gilchrist on a panel, both Gilchrist and Vaughan were asked to put forward their top picks who starred in the WC final. In response, Gilchrist selected Cummins as his choice. He emphasized Cummins' exceptional decision-making skills as the captain, particularly during crucial moments. Subsequently, when it came to Vaughan's turn, he surprised everyone by selecting umpire Richard Kettleborough as his standout performer of the match.

"I think you are right. T Head was obviously a key candidate. I think you are right, Pat Cummins, for me. His captaincy was remarkable, that mid-play when he changed the bowler every over to not let KL Rahul and Virat Kohli settle, and then he comes on and gets Virat Kohli out. My star has to be Richard Kettleborough, the umpire; he has to be. He has a great game. If his finger would have gone up …"

Watch the video:


Furthermore, Vaughan also pointed out that a close DRS call went in Australia’s favor when Bumrah almost had Labuschagne trapped LBW when they still required 57 runs for victory. Had Kettlebororugh lifted his finger, the complexion of the game would have appeared a lot different. Interestingly enough, India has never won an ICC knockout match in which Kettleborough officiated as an on-field umpire.