Watch: Old video of umpire declaring wide despite ball edging bat during BPL contest goes viral

An old video has been making rounds on social media of a major umpiring goof-up during a contest in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The BPL has garnered attention for the bizarre umpiring decisions which has plagued the tournament since its inception. With the ongoing season also trending for the umpiring gaffes, it seems that the old video has gone viral for the same reason.

Winding back the clock to 2019, one hilarious umpiring incident occurred during a match between Dhaka Dynamites (now Dominators) and Khulna Titans (now Tigers) in Mirpur. The incident took place in Mahedi Hasan’s third over when he bowled a short delivery outside off-stump upon which the batter managed to get a major inside edge.

How was this given a wide in Bangladesh Premier League? 😲pic.twitter.com/e85hy9geOr

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 9, 2023

What followed was a massive goof-up by the umpire as he signalled it a wide. Mahedi, who was left stunned by the decision began protesting, however, the umpire stood firm with his call. The match then resumed when the wicketkeeper told the bowler to move on and resume the contest.

Standards hit a new low even in latest BPL season

One would naturally expect the standard of a league to improve with the every passing season. However, with the ninth edition of the BPL underway, the bizarre decisions made by the umpire do not seem to stop as Shakib Al Hasan of Fortune Barishal engaged in an ugly altercation with the on-field umpire in match 4 of the event.

During a match between Fortune Barishal and Sylhet Strikers, the umpire failed to notice a wide when a short ball went over the head of Shakib. The Barishal all-rounder lost his cool for not signalling a wide and was seen screaming at the umpire.

While the domestic leagues are meant for the players to improve their game, similarly, the umpires too get a platform to display their decision-making skills.

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