Former ICC umpire Steve Bucknor has stated that his leg-before-wicket ruling against Sachin Tendulkar during the 2003 Brisbane Test was wrong. He publicly apologized 22 years later. In an interview with the West Indies Cricket Umpires’ Association, the 79-year-old noted that this decision remains one of the most talked-about moments of his career.
In the interview, Bucknor said,
“Giving Sachin Tendulkar out leg before wicket was a mistake. It’s something that people still discuss. Why did I give him out? Was he out? Mistakes happen, and I accept that it was a mistake. Life goes on.”
The incident took place during the first Test of India’s 2003/04 tour of Australia at the Gabba, where Tendulkar was given out LBW without scoring. Later replays indicated that the ball, bowled by Jason Gillespie, would have missed the stumps after hitting the top of Tendulkar’s right pad.
Watch the video here:
