Wanindu Hasaranga brutally criticizes umpire for not signalling no-ball in third T20I between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan

Wanindu Hasaranga was furious with the decision of the umpire which cost them the match. During the third T20I between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, a decision from the leg umpire named Hannibal ensured that the home side could not chase down the target of 210 runs, which at one point in time looked possible the way Kamanindu Mendis was going at one end.  

21 runs were needed for SL against Afghanistan in the last over of the match. The equation came down to 10 of 3. That was when the bowler delivered a waist-high full toss. For the naked eye, it seemed like a huge no-ball. But the umpire did not declare it to be a no-ball, as he felt it to be fine. The batter was a bit ahead of the stance in the crease. 

Hasaranga, the skipper of SL, asked for the referral. However, the rule does not allow the fielding captain to challenge the no-ball calls. It left him furious. SL went on to lose the match by just three runs and the call from the leg umpire indeed turned out to be a decisive factor. In the post-match talk, the star All-rounder was furious at the umpire and criticized him for the decision. 

‘Umpire isn’t suited to international cricket, would be much better if he did another job’ – Wanindu Hasaranga

The Sri Lankan skipper claimed that things like it should not happen at the highest level. He claimed that the ball was not even close to the waist-high to be considered as a benefit of the doubt and felt that it would have hit the head of the batter if it was delivered at a slightly higher trajectory. The skipper of Sri Lanka felt that the umpire was not fit for his job. 

“If you can’t see that, that umpire isn’t suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job,” said the star player in his statement. The leg-spinner then urged the Apex Board to bring back the province where the captains could challenge the on-field decisions of the umpires.