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‘Even today, the third umpire’s decision baffles me’: Saeed Ajmal on Sachin Tendulkar’s DRS reprieve
Tendulkar, who made crucial 85 runs in the semifinal at Mohali, was on 23 when Gould ruled him out LBW off Ajmal. But third umpire Billy Bowden, after a review, overturned the decision.
After umpire Ian Gould’s statement that he would even today stand by his decision of declaring Sachhin Tendulkar LBW despite it being overturned by the third umpire after a review in 2011 World Cup semi-final, the bowler to bowl that particular delivery, Saeed Ajmal has said that he was absolutely sure that it was out.
Tendulkar, who made crucial 85 runs in the semifinal at Mohali, was on 23 when Gould ruled him out LBW off Ajmal. But third umpire Billy Bowden, after a review, overturned the decision.
Recalling the incident, Ajmal, now 42, said, “It was straight in front and I was 100 percent sure he was out. Shahid Afridi, Kamran, Wahab and other players asked me was he (Tendulkar) out and I told them he is gone.”He said he was heart-broken after the third umpire ruled Tendulkar not out.
Gould, who served on the ICC’s elite panel of umpires, recently said that he would stand by his decision of giving Tendulkar out.
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“I never got a chance to bowl to him in a Test so whenever I played against him in white ball cricket I always wanted to do my best.
“More disappointing was that we lost the semifinal and it is obvious that Tendulkar’s 85 runs made all the difference,” he said on a television channel,” he said.
“Even today, the third umpire’s decision baffles me. Maybe luck was with him that day and he went on play such a crucial innings for his team,” said Ajmal who played 35 Tests between 2009 and 2014, taking 178 wickets.
He also took 183 wickets in 113 ODIs and 85 in 64 T20 Internationals.
Ajmal said Gould was upset after his decision was overturned by the third umpire.
The off-spinner’s career, however, came to an unceremonious end after a tour of Bangladesh. His bowling action was reported in 2014 and he could not cope with the subsequent modification and retired in 2017.
(With PTI inputs)
