Incompetence in full view

There were two main actors in yesterday's Australia v South Africa game.

The first was umpire Mark Benson. Shane Watson bowled a very full length ball outside off and Gilchrist didn't collect it cleanly. I'm not sure if Graeme Smith had edged it. The ball went past Gilchrist's legs and hit the cap (Gilchrist was standing up, wearing a helmet and had kept his cap near where he'd normally stand to a fast-medium bowler). Umpire Benson promptly signalled 'dead ball'. I was shocked. What sort of an umpire was he? Didn't he know the rules? Then it seemed like Graeme Smith questioned his decision (will he be pulled up?) and Benson then checked with Steve Bucknor at square-leg who told him it was five runs and also showed him how to signal five runs added to the batting team (tapping his left shoulder with his right hand). If he'd tapped his right shoulder with his left hand, as Darrell Hair did last August, Australia would have been incensed! I find it astounding that an international umpire, standing in a World Cup, didn't know the penalty runs rule for the ball hitting equipment on the field and the way the penalty had to be signalled.

The second display of incompetence was by Jacques Kallis. Just as he did against Australia in 2006 and against India in 2005, his inability to bat according to the situation (nearly 8 runs an over needed) convinces me that he's probably the most selfish batsman in world cricket at present. Either that, or he has no knowledge about the way the game is progressing. He scored 48 from 63 balls, with five boundaries. When he came in to bat, South Africa's run rate was 7.6. When he got out, it was 6.5 and he was primarily responsible. A lot of questions will have to be asked.

Labels: 2007 world cup, australia, benson, south africa, umpires, world cup