Hannibal was brought in for Palliyaguruge due to fatigue

by Rex Clementine

Umpire Lyndon Hannibal has become a marked man with plenty of criticism placed at his doorstep after he failed to detect a no ball in the tensed third T-20 International between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on Wednesday at Dambulla.

Hannibal was the on-field umpire in the third T-20 International and he was at square leg when he failed to call a no ball for a waist high full toss.

There was disappointment expressed by the Sri Lankan team, coaching staff and fans as the delivery to Kamindu Mendis was not just waist high but chest high.

Captain Wanindu Hasaranga took on the umpire after the game and the match officials notified the Match Referee Chris Broad about a Code of Conduct violation resulting in Hasaranga being banned for two games and fined 50 percent of his match fee. The player accepted the sanctions.

One bad decision certainly doesn’t make someone a bad umpire. However, in domestic cricket and high-profile school games like the Royal – Thomian too Hannibal is known for his howlers.

While Hannibal might struggle to get an international game in the near future with the captain’s report and Match Referee’s observations expected to be against him, it remains to be seen what action SLC will take.

SLC Umpires Committee head Bandula Dissanayake told The Island that Hannibal was made on field umpire only because the authorities were not sure whether Ruchira Palliyaguruge was physically fit to stand in the game.

Dissanayake, a veteran cricket administrator said that Palliyaguruge, Sri Lanka’s most experienced and decorated umpire after Kumar Dharmasena, had arrived in the island only the night before the game following an international assignment and it was felt that he will be better off doing third umpire’s duty rather than on field duty.

“There is very little SLC could do in this regard. The captain’s report directly goes to the ICC and we would not have any source document to follow up the incident,” Dissanayake said when asked what action the Umpires’ Committee will take.

“But this is something that has taken the attention of everyone and obviously it will be discussed at the next umpires’ committee meeting,” he added.

Sri Lanka had won the one-off Test match and swept the ODI series 3-0 and had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three match T-20 series. A win on Wednesday would have enabled them to sweep the T-20s as well.

Although Hannibal has copped a fair share of blame for his handling of the game, Sri Lanka had none but themselves to blame for the defeat with dropped catches, sloppy fielding and the strike bowler spraying all over sending down ten wides.