Doing on-field umpiring is one of the challenging roles in cricket. In the current game, there are usually three to four umpires present who make appropriate rulings. Everyone errs occasionally. However, it can be quite costly if the umpire makes one in the middle of an international match. Let us look at some of the worst decisions made by umpires in a cricket match.
1. Umpire Rudi Koertzen (Sri Lanka Vs Australia)
Before their collapse, which dropped them to 290-8 as they attempted to chase down 507 runs, Sri Lanka had reached 265-3. On one end, though, stood the unbeatable Kumar Sangakkara. When he attempted a pull shot against Stuart Clark, he had already scored 192 points but failed miserably. Ponting, who was at second slip, caught the ball after it struck his arm. However, the Australians appealed, and the umpire ruled him out. Sri Lanka fell short by 96 runs in the game.
2. Umpire Daryl Harper (India Vs Australia)
This is undoubtedly the worst call Tendulkar has ever experienced on the field of play. When Sachin attempted to dodge Glenn McGrath's short ball, the ball stayed low and struck Tendulkar on the shoulder. Australians appealed, and umpire Daryl Harper ruled that he had the ball in his leg earlier!
3. Umpire Steve Buckner (India Vs Australia Test)
Ishant Sharma had been nicked by Andrew Symonds and given to Dhoni. While the Indian team was jubilant, umpire Steve Bucknor did not point to the sky. The Australian batsman stumped a short while afterward, but Bucknor chose not to refer the situation to the third umpire. Despite Symonds' leg being outside the crease as Dhoni removed his stumps, the third umpire spared him this time. What happened afterward was even stranger. Dravid, who was batting at position three, narrowly avoided a leg spinner, but the Australians appealed and he was forced to return. The final straw was Ponting's catch of Ganguly's edge while the ball was still on the ground.
4. Umpire Aleem Dar (India Vs South Africa)
One of Zaheer Khan's outswingers caught the edge of AB De Villiers' bat during an ODI during South Africa's 2006 tour of India and was caught by Sachin at slip. Umpire Aleem Dar disagreed, though. The South African batsman began scratching his pad immediately after the catch was made as a sign that he had been struck on the leg. Funny enough, De Villiers would have been directly in front of the wicket even if it were the case.
5. Umpire Aleem Dar (Ashes Australia Vs England)
2013's first Ashes test saw Stuart Broad nick one to the slip during the third innings. It was visible to the unaided eye since it looked out. Before the ball got to Michael Clarke, it had used up half of Broad's bat. Aleem Dar seems unaware of it, though. The Australian team just stood there in shock and utter disappointment. A large outside edge was confirmed by the replay. Before losing, Broad had 37 and another 28 points.
6. Umpire Joel Wilson – Zimbabwe
Brendon Taylor and Sean Williams' solid 149-run partnership put Zimbabwe, which was chasing a lofty 332, on pace. Williams shot long to deep mid-wicket and was caught with 32 needed from 19 balls. The third umpire was consulted before making a choice. Williams was declared out even though replays amply demonstrated that the fielder's leg had touched the boundary line. The run-chase for Zimbabwe quickly broke down, and they lost by 5 runs.
7. Umpire Vineet Kulkarni (India Vs South Africa)
JP Duminy, South Africa's match-winning player, gained two extra lives as a result of the umpire's incorrect rulings, and he went on to score 68. The batsman was initially outed while playing at position five. Team India captain MS Dhoni expressed his unhappiness following the game and claimed that if decisions don't go in your favor, it also increases pressure. Additionally, he argued that Duminy ought to have been on the squad.
8. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena (India Vs England)
High-stakes decisions are made in tournament finals. In the rain-affected final of the 2013 Champions Trophy between India and England, the visitors only achieved a meager 129/7. Additionally, he argued that Duminy ought to have been on the squad. The bails were swiftly removed by MS Dhoni after Bell missed the ball on the following ball. The third umpire received a signal from Kumar Dharmasena. Bell quickly dragged it back after dragging it down the crease by a foot. However, Dhoni's glovework was incredibly rapid. The batsman's foot was in the air in one frame and on the ground in the following.
9. Third Umpire (Mi Vs Rcb)
When MI batted first, their formidable batting order was able to score a whopping 187 runs. RCB needed 17 runs going into the game's final over. Of the first five balls, they were able to score 10 goals. Malinga delivered the final ball, which was a dot. A few minutes later, the footage revealed that the Sri Lankan bowler's foot had left the crease when he delivered the final ball. Kohli and his teammates were enraged when they realized that RCB still had a chance to win the match if the umpire called a no-ball. The captain, Virat Kohli, expressed his displeasure with the referees in the post-game interview. The match, which RCB may have won, was lost because the third umpire chose not to step in.
10. Umpire Ulhas Gandhe (Mi Vs Rcb)
The first ball from Brevis struck Kohli in the 19th over, striking him in the pads. The on-field umpire raised his finger and ruled Kohli out, but the former captain of India chose DRS (Decision Review System), which revealed that the ball had taken a little deflection as it passed the bat and struck Kohli's pads. Unexpectedly, third umpire Ulhas Gandhe upheld the call made by the on-field umpire, and Kohli stormed off the field in rage.
