Former Indian cricketers believe Bangladesh was unfairly treated by the umpire and the rules during the T20 World Cup 2024 match against South Africa.

Umpire Sam Nogajski faced criticism for a controversial decision in the 17th over of Bangladesh’s chase in a T20 World Cup Group D match in New York on Monday.

Nogajski gave Mahmudullah out after South African pacer Ottneil Baartman struck him on the pads with a fuller-length delivery that swung in. Although the ball went to the fine leg boundary for four runs, they were not counted because Mahmudullah was declared out, rendering the ball dead.

The contentious moment arose when Mahmudullah immediately called for a review. Replays showed the ball missing the stumps by a considerable margin. The decision was overturned, but Bangladesh still lost the four runs.

According to the rules, the ball is considered “dead” once the umpire signals out, and it remains dead even if the decision is reversed on review. Bangladesh ultimately lost to South Africa by exactly four runs, who successfully defended a total of 113.

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu commented on this incident while on Star Sports: “In 150 years of cricket, will you ever see an umpire giving that out? You won’t. That was a terrible decision. Just because a part of the leg stump is visible doesn’t mean you will give the batter out. You also need to look at the angle of the ball, from where it was delivered.”

Several members of the cricketing fraternity shared their views on social media, echoing similar sentiments about the incident.