Ramiz Raja said deception was "part of a wicketkeeper's DNA".
South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock’s controversial act of deception led to one of the most bizarre run out of Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman on Sunday (April 4) in Johannesburg – which triggered a huge debate among the fans and former cricketers.
During the second ODI between South Africa and Pakistan on Sunday, Fakhar was dismissed for 193 in the final over after having been seemingly deceived by De Kock – intentionally or unintentionally, as the tourists fell 17 runs short and the hosts level the three-match ODI series in Johannesburg.
In the first ball off Lungi Nagdi of the 50th over, De Kock pointed at the bowler's end as the Fakhar looked to complete a second run, thinking the ball was heading towards the non-striker Haris Rauf’s end, but the Proteas keeper fooled the batsman, as Aiden Markram shot down the stumps at the keeper's end with a direct hit from long-off to finish his remarkable innings.
Well now, former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock has on Wednesday (April 7) reacted to the ‘fake fielding’ drama, saying De Kock was guilty of deception in the run out of Fakhar but said the Proteas keeper wasn’t aware of a law that outlaws wilful attempts to “distract, deceive or obstruct” a batsman.
Speaking in his role as a commentator for SuperSport television, Pollock said: “When you look at the incident and analyze it, it's the action of putting the hand up, you can see the distraction for the batsman and the fact that he laughed afterward.”
The former fast bowler further added, “I'm not saying that if he did that he knew it was wrong. I don't think a lot of the players know about this rule. Looking at it, it didn't feel right and I think it was definitely done on purpose to try and deceive. If you slow it down, it looks as though he was trying something (but) I don't think he was trying to cheat.”
Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja believed that it was a borderline case about De Kock-Fakhar run-out debate.
He also believed that deception was “part of a wicketkeeper's DNA” while recalling an incident during an ODI between India and Pakistan in Pune in 1986 when Indian wicketkeeper Sadanand Viswanath “tried to make believe he had missed the ball and I was run out.”
Raja signed off by saying, “There was no conclusive evidence that he was involved in serious mischief. The onus was on Fakhar to make his ground. You feel like a fool. Not only the Indian fielders were laughing at me, so was Javed Miandad at the non-striker's end.”
(With AFP Inputs)