IPL Final: "Maybe Some People Are Bigger Than The Law Or In This Case The Spirit Of Cricket"

Former International Cricket Council (ICC) umpire Daryl Harper said that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni didn’t show respect to the spirit of the game during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Daryl Harper’s comments referred to MS Dhoni’s decision to delay ‘Qualifier 1’ in Chennai on May 23.

MS Dhoni had a conversation with the umpires for a few minutes before Matheesha Pathirana could bowl the next over. Pathirana had to wait for nine more minutes to be eligible to bowl his over, as he had been off the field for some time. The incident grabbed attention from the cricket world, and a few criticized him.

It’s Always Disappointing To See – Daryl Harper

Daryl Harper highlighted that some people are bigger than the law or the spirit of cricket, which is disappointing to see. Harper pointed out that MS Dhoni had other bowling options, but he didn’t want to use them.

“Of course MS Dhoni wasted time to allow his preferred bowling option to deliver the vital sixteenth over. That’s the only conclusion that I can draw from that disappointing spectacle,” Daryl Harper said.

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“The issue for me is the lack of respect shown for the Spirit of cricket and for the directions of the umpires. There were other options for the captain but they were ignored. Maybe some people are bigger than the law or in this case the Spirit of cricket. It’s always disappointing to see the lengths that some people will go to in order to win,” he added.

There Were Standards In That Era – Daryl Harper

Harper recalled a similar instance, which happened during the Test between South Africa and India in January 2007 in Cape Town. The umpire said that Rahul Dravid, who was captain in the match, didn’t waste time in the middle, so Sachin Tendulkar could be eligible to bat.

“When the home team lost their last three wickets in seven deliveries at the end of the third day, Sachin Tendulkar had been off the field for eighteen minutes. When India lost Jaffer on the fourth morning, Sachin was unable to bat in his allocated no four position because six minutes remained of his ‘penalty’ time,” Harper recalled.

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“Captain Rahul Dravid was at the non-striker’s end when Saurav Ganguly finally reached the crease after pandemonium had broken out in the change rooms with no alternative ready to bat. Stalling for time was not an option for Dravid, however I don’t believe it was a tactic he would have ever considered. It just wasn’t cricket and there were standards in that era,” he concluded.

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