IPL 2019: MS Dhoni crossed the line statement by Simon Taufel, Really???
To put it honestly, it’s not hard to separate Clint Eastwood from Simon Taufel, former ICC Cricket umpire who officiated dozens of contests at the highest level.
The glint in the eye, the hat, the flustered and raised brow, and the sassy good looks: it often seemed that Clint Eastwood was officiating in an international ICC cricket contest and not Simon Taufel when it was the latter.
Makes sense too, by the way, since given his experience and the old man’s unflappable wisdom, you’d rather have Clint preside over a matter from a neutral perspective, then say a Christopher Walken- right?
But on a serious note, reflect and think of Simon Taufel
If you thought about it, then the uncanny similarity between- Clint and Simon Taufel- is not the only thing that’s common between the two.
Here’s the thing.
Taking the cinematic inspiration of one of Eastwood’s famous avatars in consideration- Dirty Harry- then the ability of Simon Taufel to call a spade a ‘spade’ makes him a bit like “San Francisco’s finest.”
Not someone who’d follow a fetish called an argument, Simon Taufel was, is, renowned for a plain and fairly uncomplicated approach to umpiring. You instantly liked his presence out in the middle and felt something ‘nice’ and nothing untoward about a shrewd executioner of all things cricket (decisions) on the 22 yards.
So recently when Simon Taufel made his observation about former India cricket captain MS Dhoni, it was bound to get noticed by a few and came across as a verdict from a man, who was, unquestionably, himself.
So what’s it that Simon Taufel had to share on MS Dhoni, whilst not even being in the middle of the action? In the recently-held contest against the Rajasthan Royals, CSK’s key asset, MS Dhoni ran stormed into the cricket field in the wake of a highly-debated no-ball ruling given by the umpire at the non-striker’s end, Ulhas Gandhe.
What had happened?
Stokes bowled a full-toss to Santner, from the CSK, a delivery that although was adjudged a ‘no-ball’ by the on-field umpire a the non-striker’s end, found disagreement with the square leg umpire, Bruce Oxenford.
Within a flash, the on-field umpire at the bowler’s end put his arm down. This saw MS Dhoni running out to the field for clarification with his team needed 8 off 3.
Finally, the decision was withdrawn and CSK needed 8 off 2.
But that is when the so-called controversy erupted.
What was rather interesting wasn’t whether the ball was called correctly but rather the polarising opinion MSD’s arrival on the pitch got from various quarters.
So was MS Dhoni right in personally coming down to the ground, having been dismissed a few minutes back even if he was there to clarify as to what was going on?
Well, on this, Simon Taufel’s presented his viewpoint.
Here’s what he said:
“I would have much preferred to have seen the umpire at the bowler’s end back himself and be confident with his original call, because from the officiating perspective, normally your first call or gut instinct is the right one.
The replays I have seen seem to support the original call in this case.
Be that as it may, there is no reason for the batting captain to come onto the field and contest the decision or seek clarification while the match is in progress. In this case, Dhoni did cross the line.”
So, this leaves us with a simple question.
Was Dhoni in the wrong by running down to the pitch?
One may not be wrong to suggest that Dhoni’s action won’t make the ICC ban a cricketer of his stature or repute or push the BCCI to penalize someone who was then, merely looking for clarification.
After all, the on-field decision ruled by the umpires had a clear discord.
Did it not?
Yet, at the same time, a cricketer, cool as a cucumber that he may be, ought to know what exactly happened with the equation already hanging on the knife’s edge: when can an 8 require off 3 ever be that easy?
Even the coolest sportsmen in other contests- notably Kimi Raikkonen, famously known as ‘The Iceman’- are known to have lost it on occasions where the media’s rhetorical questioning become a bit too much for the usually calm Finn to handle.
Dhoni, then, is no Dharma-guru. And he wasn’t one in that situation. Then how in IPL 2019: MS Dhoni crossed the line statement by Simon taufel fits this incident?
To that end, Simon Taufel is also somewhere right that another player needn’t have run down to the ground and asked for a clarification. Wait for the umpire’s call.
To err, rather opine differently or have an opinion that isn’t shared by another officiating umpire, is also human.
This is, in the same line of thought as Dhoni, who ‘erred’ according to what Taufel implied- right?
That said, it doesn’t occur that either man- Taufel and Dhoni- did anything wrong.
At times, the intensity of a situation is simply, unbearable.
When Lara lost his cool and MS was batting
The format of the contest, shortest and the most excitable that it may be- notwithstanding- there’s often a lot at stake during close encounters, such as the one seen between Chennai and Rajasthan the other day.
The noise, the expectations, the pressure and the sinking feeling of succumbing to a loss- they can all collectively take a toll on a cricketer, even the best in the world.
On that note, one instantly remembers the incident featuring Brian Lara and MS Dhoni when the West Indian quite literally snatched the ball into his hands after a controversial decision- in a Test match in the Caribbean- didn’t go in Lara’s favour; with a catch being declared as one taken behind the boundary line. Lara, visibly shaken and upset instructed Dhoni to walk off as the batsman stood his ground.
Why didn’t one ask then the following:
Was Lara, one of the game’s greatest right?
How would have his opposite number- Rahul Dravid- felt seeing the Prince’s demeanor?
So who would rather blame or not blame in the Taufel-Dhoni scenario? Weren’t they both correct in their respective situation?