The performance of match officials has come under much scrutiny this IPL season, but there was an umpiring controversy of a different sort at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
It has emerged that English umpire Nigel Llong, who stood in the fixture between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore here, lost his cool and caused a commotion in the umpires’ room.
It is learnt that when an upset Llong returned to the umpires’ room during the innings break, he kicked at the door in anger, besides verbally expressing his frustration. The ICC Elite Panel umpire could find himself in a spot of bother now.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association confirmed that the matter was true. “He kicked the door. There was some damage to the door and we have claimed the damages from him. We have complained to the CoA about this incident,” said KSCA secretary R. Sudhakar Rao.
Llong’s anger appears to have been sparked by on-field events. In the 20th over of the SRH innings, the Englishman called an Umesh Yadav delivery a no-ball when replays clearly showed that the bowler had not overstepped. It is learnt that Llong was subsequently asked to focus by one RCB player.
“We have reported the issue to the CoA, the ICC and the IPL,” said KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya.