The ongoing Pakistan v Sri Lanka ICC World Cup 2023 match being played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on October 10 saw one of the best innings in the tournament by Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis. Mendis hammered 122 runs in just 77 balls with 6 sixes and 14 fours to his name. He was caught by Imam Ul Haq near the boundary ropes off the bowling of Hassan Ali in the 29th over.
However, keen-eyed fans noticed that the boundary rope behind Imam was not where it should’ve been and was pushed back. There was a clear line which showed where the rope should’ve been placed.
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But it was moved back for some reason and it gave Imam a couple of inches of comfort to take the catch. Even the replays revealed that the boundary rope had been moved slightly back from its original position. If it had been in its proper place, Mendis’ shot would have been a six instead of a catch.
It is still unclear whether the boundary rope was pushed back or not. However, the incident has highlighted the importance of accurate boundary markings in cricket. The incident has sparked a debate on social media, with some fans accusing the umpires of cheating and others defending the officials.
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The umpires have not yet commented on the incident. However, if it is found that the boundary rope was indeed pushed back, it could have a significant impact on the outcome of the match.
Here is the video of the catch:
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Some fans also shared a video grab of Imam fielding at the boundary in the match against Netherlands, which was also played in Hyderabad, and the boundary rope was clearly moved back from its position behind him.
Pic 1: Pakistan vs Netherlands
Pic 2: Pakistan vs Sri LankaWhy do boundary ropes shift only during Pakistan’s matches? pic.twitter.com/4EHJuSg8ph
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) October 10, 2023
Boundary rope. Not saying they did it on purpose, but they really should have double checked. pic.twitter.com/s1fdvU3XJM
— Shivani Shukla (@iShivani_Shukla) October 10, 2023
Pakistani fielders pushed boundary rope backwards.
If boundary rope would have been on the actual line then Kusal Mendis would have not got out.
Shame on Pakistan for doing Cheating #PAKvsSL pic.twitter.com/jnYn2ZFKDp
— Aarav (@sigma__male_) October 10, 2023
No way Pakistan fielders saw Shaheen and Hasan Ali bowling and pushed the boundary back. 😭 pic.twitter.com/KAXRhd5iML
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) October 10, 2023
This is absolutely pathetic from the Pakistan team. They are increasing boundary size in every match. @ICC take a look.
Once a cheater always a cheater. Shame on them. pic.twitter.com/DlV6Vo0pZa
— 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭!𝟎𝐧_👑🚩 (@bholination) October 10, 2023
BTW that’s SIX!
Have they pushed the boundary rope further? 👀 pic.twitter.com/DZOtWmrYkg— Sushant Mehta (@SushantNMehta) October 10, 2023
This is @KusalMendis13 catch taken by Imam!
Have a look at the placement of the boundary line vs the placement of boundary cushion!
Looks suspicious! Did Pakistan deliberately pulled them back? @ICC please look into it!@bcci @DisneyPlusHS #SLvsPAK #ODIWorldCup2023 #icc pic.twitter.com/9V5bNH2aGy
— Karan Arora (@KaranProficient) October 10, 2023
The boundary has been pushed back by Pakistani 🇵🇰fielders ! ! You can clearly see the patch on the field where the boundary rope was previously ! The Mendis wicket must be reviews ! #PAKvsSL #SLvsPAK #mendis #starsports #ICC #CricketWorldCup2023 pic.twitter.com/je3XQ8hRbA
— Shashwat Johri (@shashwatjohri05) October 10, 2023
