A moment which is counted among the most controversial decisions in the history of cricket is once again in the news. Fans still remember the case of great batsman Sachin Tendulkar being given out LBW in the Brisbane Test during the 2003-04 Australia tour. Now, after 22 years, the umpire of that match, Steve Buckner, has openly admitted for the first time that that decision was wrong.
79-year-old Buckner said that the ball was missing the stumps that day and Sachin should not have been given out. After his statement, it seems as if the debate that has been going on for two decades has come to an end. Buckner clearly said that mistakes happen in life and he has accepted his mistake.
What happened that day?
This incident is of the test match being played in Brisbane. Sachin tried to leave a ball from Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie. Due to which the ball hit his pad and the Australian players made a strong appeal. After the appeal, Buckner raised his finger and declared Sachin out. At that time Sachin was playing on just three runs.
Later TV replays clearly showed that the ball was going outside the stumps. Veteran commentator Tony Greig, present in the commentary box, also called it a bad decision. His words were that this was a very bad decision. The line and bounce of the ball should have been seen before taking the decision.
The decision had created a storm
There was no DRS system in that era. Therefore the umpire’s decision was considered final. This one decision created a big controversy in the cricket world. Many Indian fans believed that Bucknor had given questionable decisions against Sachin in the past also. Time passed, but this incident remained fresh in the memories of cricket lovers. After the arrival of social media, this issue used to come up again during every big match.
Sachin also gave a funny answer
Some time ago, when Sachin was asked a question about Buckner, he gave a light-hearted answer in his own style. He jokingly said that when he bats, the umpire should be made to wear boxing gloves, so that he cannot lift a finger. This statement shows his positive and calm nature.
