WTC Final 2023: Pakistan Fans Troll Kamran Akmal After He Supports Shubman Gill In Controversial Dismissal

Former cricketer Kamran Akmal had to face trolling from Pakistan fans after he supported Shubman Gill over the controversial dismissal.

New Delhi: Former Pakistan wicket-keeper batter called the third umpire’s decision to dismiss Shubman Gill shocking. Cameron Green’s catch on day 4 of WTC Final 2023 at the Kennington Oval has sparked lots of controversy around the globe.

Former cricketers like Akamal and Sehwag have openly criticized the decision. Kamran Akmal addressed it from his official Twitter handle and wrote “Shocking Decision by the third umpire..It wasn’t a clear catch of @ShubmanGill.”

However, supporting an Indian cricketer opened Kamran to heavy trolls and criticism from people of his own country. Pakistan fans didn’t like his statement in support of the star Indian opener Shubman Gill and started trolling him online.

Bahi single catch nahi pakra jata aur WTC ki umpiring kr rhy ho ap?!?! ??

— ???? ??????? (@jabeenyousaf786) June 10, 2023

Abby tumy to seedhy Catch nazar nhn aaty thy, ye kaisy nazr aagya

— Asad Javed (@asadjavedkhan11) June 10, 2023

After kohlison we have gillsons

— Pakiza Amir? (@amir_pakiza) June 10, 2023

Is time to nhi boly thy ap? pic.twitter.com/S7JbejIT3Y

— Ehtisham Siddique (@iMShami_) June 10, 2023

Shubman Gill’s Dismissal Sparks Controversy

India opener Shubman Gill’s dismissal, caused by a one-handed catch by Cameron Green in the second innings of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at The Oval here on Saturday has triggered a widespread debate on whether the ball had touched the ground or not.

Gill was out when Boland extracted an outside edge off his defensive prod, and the ball flew low to Green’s left at third slip. The tall all-rounder took out his left hand and took a one-handed screamer, with the third umpire Richard Kettleborough adjudging it as a clean catch after viewing multiple replays of it.

As soon as the ‘out’ decision was shown on the giant screen, Gill and India skipper Rohit Sharma were left unconvinced by the decision as tea was taken immediately, with fans debating whether the batter was out or not, as well as if Green had avoided hitting the ball on the grass when his hand came on the ground after catching the ball.

“The ball went into his hand maybe 6-8 inches above the ground but the question I have got was, did any part of the ball touch the ground just after it completed the catch? I am sure that’s what Rohit Sharma is arguing with the umpires.”

“I am sure that’s why Shubman Gill is so disappointed. It had carried, six-eight inches above the ground; no doubt about that but did it then actually roll over and touch the top of the surface?” said former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on-air.

The highly-debatable decision on Gill’s dismissal comes on the back of the absence of the soft signal, which was removed from the ICC Playing Conditions from June 1, 2023, starting from the England-Ireland four-day Test at the Lord’s.

“It’s about how you see it. He did catch the ball with fingers under the ball but if any part of the ball touches the ground it can be interpreted as helping the ball to stay in the hand and usually the umpires always go not out,” said former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

(with IANS inputs)