Nottingham: Cricket experts feel that Stuart Broad was well within his right to stand his ground after edging one on day three of the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge here.
“It’s the umpire’s decision to give you out and you can’t blame Broad for not walking, hats off I say if you nick it to 1st slip and stand your ground and get given not out” tweeted spin legend Shane Warne.
Broad, while on 37 and England on 297 for 7, edged an Ashton Agar ball to Michael Clarke after it clipped wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s gloves but umpire Aleem Dar gave Broad not out, leaving the Aussies shocked.
“The way people are reacting is that Broad is the first player ever to hit a ball and not walk,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said.
‘Walking’, the practice whereby batsmen gave themselves out without waiting for the umpire’s decision, was once a long-established tradition in English county cricket and ‘non-walkers’ were considered unsporting.
However, the custom in Australian cricket, from even as far back as batting great Don Bradman’s time, has been to wait for the umpire’s verdict.
“To me, it has to be the umpire (at fault). A player is allowed to stand his ground,” former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath.
The decision review system was also not an option for Australia as they had already used their stipulated two reviews unsuccessfully.
Clarke exchanged words with umpire Dar, while coach Darren Lehmann shook his head in astonishment.
England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who scored a fifty in the first innings, also defended Broad’s decision.
“Each and every player that plays for their country, club side, county, province or franchise has the opportunity to wait for the decision the umpire makes, and you respect the umpire’s decision,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Broad’s father, Chris backed his son’s decision and said that instances like these happen in the Ashes.
“Stuart didn’t walk and I think most players want to see an umpire give a decision. The umpire gave a not out decision, you get on with the game,” said Chris Broad.
Despite former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who retired from international duty in 2008, being a noted ‘walker’, few other modern players have copied his lead.
England had been angered ib Thursday by third umpire Marais Erasmus after the South African gave Jonathan Trott out lbw when the hosts were convinced the batsman had hit the ball and denied them the wicket of Ashton Agar, on six, when they thought the 19-year-old debutant had been stumped.
Agar went on to make 98 – the highest score by a Test match No 11.
England paceman James Anderson described Trott’s dismissal as “very frustrating” after play on Thursday. (Agencies)