Umpire Joel Wilson has two-ball ‘shocker’ as Aussie reviews save Mitch Marsh after bizarre moment
Mitch Marsh #MitchMarsh
Mitch Marsh was saved twice early on day two of Australia’s second Test against Pakistan after what Wasim Akram described as a “shocker” from umpire Joel Wilson.
Marsh was sent into the action after Travis Head fell to Shaheen Shah Afridi for 17 and looked to have not managed much longer himself when he was given LBW while facing Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali.
The 32-year-old decided to send it upstairs after a brief chat with Marnus Labuschagne, although Marsh himself didn’t seem to realise he had got a nick on the ball.
“The question is did he know himself?” Fox Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle said.
“If he knew he would have gone for it straight away.”
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The relief appeared short-lived though as Marsh was then caught the next ball, with Wilson raising the finger. But this time Marsh seemed much more confident as he requested a review.
Once again, the review saved Marsh as replays showed the ball had flicked both pads but not the bat.
“Joel Wilson is having a shocker,” Wasim Akram said in commentary on Fox Cricket.
It is not the first time that Wilson has come under scrutiny for poor decisions, having eight calls overturned by the third umpire in the first Test at Edgbaston.
It didn’t improve from there and resulted in both Wilson and Chris Gaffaney, who had seven decisions overturned at Headingley, being dropped for the fourth and fifth Tests.