Bucknor bends over backwards to appease
Watching bucknor bend over bakwards repeatedly to the Australian team to make sure that Waugh's farewell test doesn't go sour reminds one of a lapping street dog that runs over to you and tries to show his affection by licking you all over just for pat.
It's not that India didn't take 10 Australian wickets. It did. It's just that, Bucknor decided that he was going to use the powers vested into him by the ICC to deny India the 10 wickets. So three let-offs to his favourite Langer (who was Agarkar's bunny for all purpose) and one let off to Damien Martyn.
A newcomer to the game would have felt that Bucknor probably doesn't believe in LBWs. But for us who have seen him give Indian batsman out LBW for ball that would have hit anything except the stumps, this is the sad story of lickers and remnants of the colonial past. Boot-lickers I must say.
Shepherd robbed India the match by giving Akash Chopra out when ball was miles away from the bat for a nick. He had a duty to perform, a powerful cricketing team and ICC lords to appease. Steve Bucknor decided to take this to the next level.
Shame on the West Indies umpire!
I remember the same way was being treated with Bangladesh by Ashoka Di Disco(aka Silva) in Bangladesh-Paki test matches.
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