'Technology Basically Putting a Curse on This Beautiful Game of Cricket': Hafeez After Rizwan's Controversial Dismissal

Pakistan cricket team director Mohammad Hafeez lashed out at the technology and said it is putting a curse on the beautiful game. Hafeez was unimpressed with the third-umpire decision to give Mohammad Rizwan out after Pat Cummins took the review.

Rizwan looked dangerous on his way to 35 before Cummins again worked his magic, with Alex Carey collecting a catch behind the stumps after the ball went off the batsman’s glove. The on-field umpire gave it not out but Australia went for the review and after several angle checks he was fine out by the tv-umpire.

Hafeez lashed out at the technology and said it is bringing a curse to the game of cricket with the inconsistency.

“Technology, I’m in favour of that but of it if giving you the benefit, but if it is bringing some doubt and bringing some curse into the game it should not be acceptable by anyone,” Hafeez said in the press conference.

The former Pakistan captain also expressed his apprehensions about the umpire-call on DRS and said he never understood the rule.

“We play this beautiful game of cricket on the basics of the game but sometimes the technology brings some decisions which obviously as a human we don’t understand. Hitting the ball into the stumps (on DRS) is always out. Why is there an umpire’s call? I’ve never understood that,” he added.

Hafeez said that the inconsistency in technology is also not good for the fans.

“I think there are a lot of areas that need to be addressed for the betterment of cricket in general where technology is taking away from the instinct of the game.

“We play this game for the fans but the fans will never understand why this technology is inconsistent and the result of the game comes up differently,” he added.

“This technology is basically putting a curse on this beautiful game of cricket and we need to address it,” he added.

Meanwhile, Cummins’ second 10-wicket total in test matches led Australia to a 79-run win over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the fourth day of the second cricket test on Friday.

Cummins made all the crucial breakthroughs late in the day as the hosts bowled Pakistan out for 237 to win the Boxing Day test and extend Pakistan’s losing run in Australian Tests to 16 matches.