Appeal (cricket)
Encyclopedia
In the sport
of cricket
, an appeal is the act of a player on the fielding team asking an umpire
for a decision regarding whether a batsman is out or not. According to the Laws of Cricket
, an umpire may not rule a batsman out unless the fielding side appeals. There have been occasions when a batsman has otherwise technically been out, but the fielding team neglected to appeal so the umpire did not declare them out. An appeal may be made at any point before the bowler starts his run-up for the next ball.
According to the Laws of Cricket, an appeal is a verbal query, usually in the form of, "How's that?" to an umpire. Since the taking of a wicket
is an important event in the game, members of the fielding team often shout this phrase with great enthusiasm, and it has transmuted into the slightly abbreviated form, "Howzat?", often with a greatly extended final syllable. Sometimes the second syllable is omitted entirely, the player emitting an elongated cry of simply "How?"
Most players also raise their arms or point at the umpire as part of the appeal. Some players have established their own trademark appeals as well.
Although technically an appeal is required for the umpire to make a decision, in practice it is often obvious to all that a batsman is out, and the batsman may walk off the field without waiting for the decision of the umpire. This is invariably the case when a batsman is out bowled or to an obvious catch. However, the batsman is always entitled to stand his ground and wait for a decision from the umpire. In cases where he considers he might not be out, such as a catch taken low near the grass or where it is not clear if the ball hit the bat, batsmen will not take the walking option. It is then up to the fielding team to appeal for a decision. Sometimes a batsman will walk even when it is not clear to others that he is out, if in his own mind he is certain he was out; this is considered to be the epitome of sportsmanlike
behaviour.
Some decisions, such as leg before wicket
, always require an appeal and the umpire's decision, as no batsman will pre-empt the umpire on what requires fine judgment of several factors. Run-outs and stumpings are usually appealed and decided by an umpire, unless the batsman is clearly out of his ground and obviously out. Appealing differs vastly from sledging
in the context that appealing is not supposed to be offensive or directly taunting to the other team, and more of a celebration to the appealing team. However, excessive appealing is against ICC's Code of Conduct:
Under the ICC Cricket Code of Conduct
, it is considered unsportsmanlike to:
Any instances of such behaviour are punishable by fines or match bans, as adjudicated and imposed by the match referee
. Australian Bowler Brett Lee
was fined 25% of his match fee for excessive appealing during match two of the 2006-07 Ashes series at the Adelaide Oval
when he believed English batsman Kevin Pietersen
was out caught behind.
The Indian fast bowler Sreesanth has been fined for over-appealing on multiple occasions, in particular for drawing breath and appealing for a second time after the umpire had already shaken his head.
In 2001, Mike Denness
banned Virender Sehwag
for one Test and fined a number of other Indian players for charging at the umpire (intimidation) and overappealling in a Test against South Africa, sparking a diplomatic incident, after the Indian board then had Denness locked out of the stadium for the next match and replaced. The match was subsequently stripped of Test status by the ICC.
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, an appeal is the act of a player on the fielding team asking an umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
for a decision regarding whether a batsman is out or not. According to the Laws of Cricket
Laws of cricket
The laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
, an umpire may not rule a batsman out unless the fielding side appeals. There have been occasions when a batsman has otherwise technically been out, but the fielding team neglected to appeal so the umpire did not declare them out. An appeal may be made at any point before the bowler starts his run-up for the next ball.
According to the Laws of Cricket, an appeal is a verbal query, usually in the form of, "How's that?" to an umpire. Since the taking of a wicket
Wicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
is an important event in the game, members of the fielding team often shout this phrase with great enthusiasm, and it has transmuted into the slightly abbreviated form, "Howzat?", often with a greatly extended final syllable. Sometimes the second syllable is omitted entirely, the player emitting an elongated cry of simply "How?"
Most players also raise their arms or point at the umpire as part of the appeal. Some players have established their own trademark appeals as well.
Although technically an appeal is required for the umpire to make a decision, in practice it is often obvious to all that a batsman is out, and the batsman may walk off the field without waiting for the decision of the umpire. This is invariably the case when a batsman is out bowled or to an obvious catch. However, the batsman is always entitled to stand his ground and wait for a decision from the umpire. In cases where he considers he might not be out, such as a catch taken low near the grass or where it is not clear if the ball hit the bat, batsmen will not take the walking option. It is then up to the fielding team to appeal for a decision. Sometimes a batsman will walk even when it is not clear to others that he is out, if in his own mind he is certain he was out; this is considered to be the epitome of sportsmanlike
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors...
behaviour.
Some decisions, such as leg before wicket
Leg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
, always require an appeal and the umpire's decision, as no batsman will pre-empt the umpire on what requires fine judgment of several factors. Run-outs and stumpings are usually appealed and decided by an umpire, unless the batsman is clearly out of his ground and obviously out. Appealing differs vastly from sledging
Sledging (cricket)
Sledging is a term used in cricket to describe the practice whereby some players seek to gain an advantage by insulting or verbally intimidating the opposing player. The purpose is to try to weaken the opponent's concentration, thereby causing him to make mistakes or underperform...
in the context that appealing is not supposed to be offensive or directly taunting to the other team, and more of a celebration to the appealing team. However, excessive appealing is against ICC's Code of Conduct:
Under the ICC Cricket Code of Conduct
ICC Cricket Code of Conduct
The ICC Cricket Code of Conduct is a regulation regarding the conduct of professional players in the sport of cricket. Traditionally, cricket requires "gentlemanly" conduct from all players...
, it is considered unsportsmanlike to:
- appeal excessively;
- appeal in an intimidating manner towards an umpire; or
- appeal under the knowledge that the batsman is not out.
Any instances of such behaviour are punishable by fines or match bans, as adjudicated and imposed by the match referee
Match referee
A match referee is an official appointed to oversee professional cricket matches. Match referees for Test matches and One Day Internationals are appointed by the International Cricket Council...
. Australian Bowler Brett Lee
Brett Lee
Brett Lee is an Australian cricketer.After breaking into the Australian Test team, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket...
was fined 25% of his match fee for excessive appealing during match two of the 2006-07 Ashes series at the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
when he believed English batsman Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
was out caught behind.
The Indian fast bowler Sreesanth has been fined for over-appealing on multiple occasions, in particular for drawing breath and appealing for a second time after the umpire had already shaken his head.
In 2001, Mike Denness
Mike Denness
Mike Denness is a former Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Essex and Kent. Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play for England at Test and ODI level. Denness became the first Scotsman to captain England...
banned Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag , affectionately known as Viru, the Nawab of Najafgarh, or the Zen master of modern cricket, is one of the leading batsmen in the Indian cricket team. Sehwag is an aggressive right-handed opening batsman and a part-time right-arm off-spin bowler...
for one Test and fined a number of other Indian players for charging at the umpire (intimidation) and overappealling in a Test against South Africa, sparking a diplomatic incident, after the Indian board then had Denness locked out of the stadium for the next match and replaced. The match was subsequently stripped of Test status by the ICC.
See also
- Appeal playAppeal playIn baseball, an appeal play occurs when a member of the defensive team calls the attention of an umpire to an infraction which he would otherwise ignore.-Appeal Play Situations:A runner shall be called out, after a successful live ball appeal, if he:...
- a similar concept in baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... - Cricket terminology
- Umpire Decision Review SystemUmpire Decision Review SystemThe Umpire Decision Review System is a new technology based system currently being used on an experimental basis in the sport of cricket. The system was first introduced in Test Cricket for the sole purpose of reviewing the controversial decisions made by the on-field umpires in the case of a...