Imran Khan gave Kris Srikkanth a chance after being declared out

Cricket, as they say, is a gentleman’s game. So sportsman spirit certainly forms an integral part of it. When a batsman falls prey to what may have been a harsh decision, it is something that no one wants. And we often criticize a batsman if he doesn’t walk off willingly after he gets dismissed.

But in a rare video that surfaced on the internet, this was not the case. It was an instance when the fielding side has gone the extra mile and called back a player as they thought the standing decision is not fair. During an ODI between India and arch-rivals Pakistan at Lahore in 1989, Indian batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth had been adjudged lbw off a Waqar Younis delivery.

However, Srikkanth was convinced it was not out when he started walking back in an agitated manner. It was then that the Pakistan captain Imran Khan graciously told him to come back and bat again as the umpire was forced to change his decision. Khan was sympathetic to Kris Srikkanth, who was wrongly adjudged out. Next ball though, Waqar got him out caught behind and Srikanth’s fate was sealed.

You can watch the video below:

MS Dhoni made a similar gesture to give Ian Bell a second chance

This is, however, not the only instance when a fielding team skipper reprieved the umpire’s decision.

When India went to England in 2011, Ian Bell thought the ball was already dead and wandered out of his crease. It was the last ball before a break but the umpire was yet to call it an over. The bails were taken off and Bell was legally out.

However, Dhoni and his team believed that Bell was unaware of the ball not being dead and was not attempting a run so even though he was rightly given out, he should be called back. That’s what happened and Bell continued to bat. The match was lost but that gesture showed the true meaning of sportsmanship.