Thunder’s Khawaja frustrated by controversial Big Bash catch
Sydney Thunder batter Usman Khawaja
was left feeling hard done by after his controversial dismissal paved the way
for their elimination from the Big Bash League finals at the hands of the
Adelaide Strikers on Sunday.
The stylish left-hander was given
out caught by Fawad Ahmed at short third man despite replays, which appeared to
show the ball touching the grass as the diving fielder scooped it up at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The on-field decision was out and
the third umpire declined to overturn it.
His dismissal for 23 opened the door
for Adelaide, who went on to win by six runs and advance to another elimination
final against the Sydney Sixers at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
The winner of that match will play
the Perth Scorchers in the final of the domestic Twenty20 competition in
Melbourne on Friday.
“At the end
of the day the soft signal cost me,” Khawaja
said.
“I’ve never
been a big fan of the soft signal. When they give it out on the field it makes
it hard to overturn.
“I just said
(to) the umpires on field, ‘I can’t believe
that a blade of grass didn’t touch the ball there.’
“It looked
like a blade of grass 100%. They didn’t really
give me a direct answer.”
Khawaja, back for a brief spell in
domestic cricket after recently scoring a century in both innings for Australia
in the fourth Ashes Test against England, said he was not accusing Ahmed of
dishonesty in claiming the catch.
“As a fielder
I know you 100% don’t always know (if the ball has
bounced),” Khawaja said.
“I’m not
questioning Fawad at all. I just thought it bounced.”