‘Spirit of Cricket’ thrust back into the spotlight after Englishman Tom Curran run out, then called back

The ‘Spirit of Cricket’ is once again in the spotlight after Englishman Tom Curran wandered out of his crease to be run out, only to be called back after his countrymen cried foul.

As the clash between the MI Emirates and Gulf Giants went down to the wire in their International League Twenty20 match, Curran and partner Mark Adair had seemingly completed a non-descript single to mid-off.

However, Curran wandered out of his crease to inspect the pitch while the ball was being thrown into wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran, where Pooran whipped off the bails.

Curran stood there in disbelief as umpires asked if Pooran wanted to withdraw the appeal, which he did not, with the decision being sent to the third umpire.

He was judged out in scenes reminiscent of Johnny Bairstow’s controversial stumping during the 2023 Ashes, though this case was more clear-cut, given that the ball was being thrown in from the field.

As Curran walked off in anger, his coach, former English coach Andy Flower, told him to stand his ground. After three minutes, he was called back to the middle, with Englishman Tom Banton - fielding for the opposition - waving him back.

Curran added three more runs before being bowled off the second last ball of the game with his side claiming a two-wicket win off the final ball.

Despite shaking his head in disbelief at the decision Pooran suggested after the match he had called Curran back in the ‘spirit of the game.’

“Not enough discipline with the bat and bowl. [We] called him back in the spirit of game. We haven’t respected the game enough, the opposition and our plans. If we keep making same mistakes, it will cost us,” Pooran said post-match.

However, Emirates fast bowler Alzarri Joseph did not share that view as he suggested he was called back because umpires had called over which would therefore make the ball dead.

“In the moment, the ball was on the way back when he left the crease,” Joseph said.

“It was out. But the umpires had already called over, so there’s nothing we could do about that.”

It is hard to see why the umpires would have called over with the ball still in motion but ultimately this time the English got their way.