IND Vs PAK’s 3rd Umpire Has Officiated In IPL As Pakistan Allege? Fact Check Sets Record Straight | Cricket News

Pakistan cricketers, as well as their former players, have voiced strong concerns over the third umpire’s controversial decision to give Fakhar Zaman out during the Asia Cup Super Four clash against India in Dubai on Sunday.

The incident took place in the third over of Pakistan’s innings when Fakhar, having already hit three boundaries and looking in good touch, edged a slower delivery from Hardik Pandya. Wicketkeeper Sanju Samson dived forward and appeared to complete the catch, prompting the on-field umpires to seek confirmation from the television umpire, Ruchira Palliyaguruge.

After reviewing just a couple of angles, Palliyaguruge concluded that Samson’s fingers were under the ball and declared Fakhar out. However, certain camera views suggested that the ball might have brushed the turf before entering Samson’s gloves, raising doubts about the catch’s validity. Fakhar, who had scored 15 of Pakistan’s 21 runs at that point, stood his ground briefly before reluctantly walking off, visibly unhappy with the decision.

After the match, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha maintained a diplomatic stance when questioned about the incident. While acknowledging that umpires can make mistakes, he said: “Umpires can make mistakes. But it did look like it bounced ahead of the keeper to me. I might be wrong. The way [Fakhar] was batting, if he had batted through the powerplay, we would probably have scored 190. But those are calls for umpires to make. To me, it looked like it bounced before the keeper. I might be mistaken, but so might be the umpire”.

Former Pakistan cricketers were less restrained.

Mohammad Yusuf expressed frustration with the review process, pointing out that not all camera angles were checked before the verdict. He said, “They didn’t even check many angles. Fakhar had hit three fours and handled (Jasprit) Bumrah with ease in the first over. His wicket was crucial for India.”

Shoaib Akhtar went further, launching a scathing critique on state television: “Fakhar wasn’t out. He should have been given the benefit of the doubt. Majaal hai ki midwicket pe camera dekh le (Did they dare look at the mid-wicket camera angle?). Otherwise, the cameras show the whole stump, but in this case, they could not find an angle. Why couldn’t they get an angle? With 26 cameras available, why did the third umpire only check two angles? If Fakhar had stayed, the match might have turned. The third umpiring level was questionable. It clearly looks like the ball touched the grass. His palms are not on the ground fully. The ball has weight too.”

Shahid Afridi suggested that the umpire’s judgment might have been influenced by future commitments, hinting at potential bias: “Unhone IPL me bhi toh umpiring karni hai (He has to umpire in the IPL too).”

Has India Vs Pakistan 3rd Umpire Officiated In IPL?

Ruchira Palliyaguruge has officiated in 18 Tests, 132 ODIs, and 84 T20Is in men’s cricket, and has also stood as an official in 22 WODIs and eight WT20Is. Additionally, he has been involved in 158 T20s, serving as an umpire in 110 matches and as a TV umpire in 48 matches.

But Palliyaguruge is not one of the five Sri Lankans — Graeme Labrooy, Kumar Dharmasena, Ranjan Madugalle, Roshan Mahanama, and Tyron Wijewardene — who have officiated in the IPL as umpires, TV umpires, or match referees.