CWC 2023: We will seek clarity on Stoinis decision, says Labuschagne

Stoinis was adjudged out caught behind in the 18th over off a Kagiso Rabada delivery after South Africa reviewed the decision

Lucknow: The Australian camp was not happy with the third umpire’s decision to rule Marcus Stoinis out in the 134-run defeat to South Africa in the World Cup, with batter Marnus Labuschagne and coach Andrew McDonald saying they will seek clarity from the ICC.

Stoinis was adjudged out caught behind in the 18th over off a Kagiso Rabada delivery after South Africa reviewed the decision.

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The Ultra edge showed a spike, as the ball touched Stoinis’s bottom hand. But what made things confusing was that Stoinis’ top hand left the bat and whether top and bottom hand were both connected to the bat was debatable.

“You have got to accept the umpire’s decision in these moments. I’m sure there will be some sort of explanation coming from the ICC around the dismissal,” McDonald said after the game.

Labuschagne, who was batting at the non-striker’s end, said the team would seek an explanation from the apex body.

“We will get clarity or will seek clarity because it’s the World Cup,” Labuschagne said.

“The umpires really did not know what was going on. They saw what we saw so it wasn’t too much going on. For me it looked on the field… his hand was off the bat, it hit the glove and because it didn’t go to the side on angle Marcus and I were just asking have they checked.

“Because they just checked the spike from the front on. They didn’t get the close up, zoom in of the side, that we had and that just looked like there was clear daylight between the two gloves and handle.

“But once again I have been in the third umpire’s room and the screen is big, much clear than me watching from the middle in the pixelated screen.

“There was some talk that maybe it hit the handle of the bat. I don’t know.” Steve Smith was also ruled out after a South Africa review. The umpire was forced to change his decision as the ball tracking technology showed it was hitting the leg stump.

“It’s hard to contest technology. There was potential that it was going outside leg but technology had it hitting the stumps.

“Any time Smith and Stoinis are there there’s a chance. They are both quality players and given the opportunity, they would have taken the match closer,” added McDonald.