Andrew McDonald has confirmed that Australia will seek clarification from the ICC on the controversial dismissal of Marcus Stoinis. Australia lost their second match in a row in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023, this time to South Africa by 134 runs in Lucknow.
Australian camp was not happy with the umpiring decisions in the match. First Steve Smith was given LBW out via DRS review when the on-field umpire had ruled not out. But the replays in the review showed that the ball would’ve hit the leg stump.
On Smith's dismissal, McDonald said, "It's hard to contest technology. There was potential that it was going outside leg but technology had it hitting the stumps. Any time Smith and Stoinis are there there's a chance. They are both quality players and given the opportunity, they would have taken the match closer.”
But the big controversy erupted when Marcus Stoinis was given out caught behind in the 18th over off a Kagiso Rabada delivery after South Africa reviewed the decision. Ultra-edge showed a spike, as the ball touched Stoinis' bottom hand.
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But confusion began as Stoinis' top hand left the bat and whether the top and bottom hand were both connected to the bat was debatable.
"You have got to accept the umpire's decision in these moments. I'm sure there will be some sort of explanation coming from the ICC around the dismissal," McDonald said after the game.
Labuschagne, who was batting at the non-striker's end, said the team would seek an explanation from the ICC.
"We will get clarity or will seek clarity because it's the World Cup," Labuschagne said.
"The umpires did not know what was going on. They saw what we saw so it wasn't too much going on. For me it looked on the field... his hand was off the bat, it hit the glove, and because it didn't go to the side on angle Marcus and I were just asking have they checked.
Because they just checked the spike from the front on. They didn't get the close-up, zoom-in of the side, that we had and that just looked like there was clear daylight between the two gloves and handle. But once again I have been in the third umpire's room and the screen is big, much clearer than me watching from the middle in the pixelated screen. There was some talk that maybe it hit the handle of the bat. I don't know,” Labuschagne added.
Australia will next play Sri Lanka in Lucknow on October 16, Monday.
(PTI inputs)
