Cricket fans criticized icon Mahendra Singh Dhoni for apparently intimidating referee Paul Reiffel into changing an open decision during a 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) game. The incident occurred on Tuesday when the Chennai Super Kings leader, Shardul Thakur, dived off the stump of Sunrisers Hyderabad hitter Rashid Khan. Referee Reiffel, who played 35 tryouts for Australia before retiring, appeared to initiate the signal for a wide – both arms outstretched at shoulder height – when Dhoni began to protest.
Then Reiffel appeared to change his mind midway through the signal and the ball fell as legitimate on the crucial penultimate lap of Hyderabad’s unsuccessful 168 chase.
Commentator Ian Bishop, a former Antillean international, told ESPNcricinfo that Reiffel had been wrong.
“He started calling him wide, looked up, saw Dhoni and changed his mind,” Bishop said.
“I am someone who sympathizes with referees because it is a difficult job, but tonight I will say that Reiffel made a mistake.”
Hyderabad captain David Warner also looked visibly unhappy from the bench at Dubai Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.
The match saw Chennai rebound from two losses to win by 20 runs and tie Hyderabad on six points in the eight-team table.
But Dhoni’s action was not well received on social media.
“What a mockery of the game, pathetic! Dhoni keeps bullying the umpires and gets away with it. I just lost count,” wrote one cricket fan on Twitter.
Others criticized Reiffel for apparently succumbing to pressure from Dhoni.
“Weak referee! It’s sad to see an elite referee bogged down by the stature of a cricketer,” said another Twitter user.
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Last year, Dhoni was fined 50 percent of the match fee after storming the field during a tense IPL game to challenge an arbitration decision.
The laws of cricket state: “A referee may alter any decision as long as such alteration is made promptly.”
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