Follow UsRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB’s) head coach Andy Flower, who is also coaching Gulf Giants in the ongoing International T20 League (ILT20), made a schoolboy error that cost his team some crucial runs in the last four overs against Desert Vipers on January 14 (Tuesday).
The incident occurred in the 16th over of the first innings when Mohammad Amir dismissed Saghir Khan on the fourth delivery of the over. That’s when the Giants sent in Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus as their Super Sub, who was asked to go back a couple of minutes later.
Catch all the action from ILT20 LIVE on FanCode
Flower wasn’t too pleased with the decision and was seen arguing with the fourth umpire just outside the boundary. Leslie Reifer, the third umpire for the game, then revealed that Flower didn’t follow the due process as he failed to inform the fourth umpire that his team would be using Erasmus as the Super Sub.
Explaining the entire scenario on the broadcast, Reifer said: “Erasmus wasn’t declared in the playing XI and the playing conditions clearly state that only the head coach can notify the fourth umpire immediately at the fall of a wicket or a batter retiring.
“As we saw there, our fourth umpire was not informed of the Super Sub. Therefore, Gerhard Erasmus had no really right and truly going to the middle because the process was not duly followed.”
It was England’s seamer Tymal Mills who eventually had to walk out to bat and failed to score a single run off four deliveries. The Giants could only score 119/9 in their 20 overs and used Blessing Muzarabani as the Super Sub in the second innings. They ended up losing the game by six wickets and more than two overs to spare.