Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary lashed out at Pakistani star player Mohammad Rizwan.© X (Twitter)
Star Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan is one of the best batsmen at the moment. Rizwan, who is currently playing for Pakistan in a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, became the first keeper from his country to score 150 or more in a Test innings since Kamran Akmal in 2009. Apart from being a world-class cricketer, Rizwan is also known for his antics on the field. From fake cramps to incessant appeals behind the sticks, Rizwan can be a bit of a nuisance for the umpires.
However, Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary remains unmoved, despite Rizwan’s best efforts. In a recent conversation, Chaudhary compared Rizwan to a pigeon while referring to his calls from behind the stumps. The 59-year-old also recalled that he had once told his fellow umpire not to feel pressured while blowing the whistle against Rizwan.
“Haan, maine pichle saal Asia Cup me ki thi (referee). Vo (Rizwan) has appealed the card. See the card. Maine dusre referee ko bola ki ye bahut appeal karta hai dhyaan rakhna. Vo kabutar ki tarah koodta rehta hai idhar se udhar. He told me 'main dene hi waala tha but tune bola tha to mujhe yaad aa gaya.' Isn't he the one who puts on something like lipstick. (Yes, I did that (as an umpire) in the Asia Cup last year. He (Rizwan) appeals every issue. But let him do that. I told the second umpire that he appeals a lot, so be careful. He keeps jumping like a pigeon. The other umpire told me, 'I was going to give up but I remembered what you said about him.' Isn't he the one who puts on something like lipstick (zinc oxide)?' Chaudhary said on the podcast 2 Sloggers.
He also warned Rizwan and other goalkeepers not to appeal unnecessarily, otherwise the referees would not even make the right decisions.
“Agar umpire acha hai to vo wicketkeepers ko pakad lega. Jitne bhi keepers hain aaj sun lein, faaltu ki appeal karoge on jo hoga vo bhi nahi milega. (If the umpire is good, he can outsmart the wicketkeepers. This is a warning to all the keepers, if you appeal without reason, you won't even get the right calls),” he added.
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