Is Ian Bell a cheat?

[skipper kelly]

All you blokes saying 'a batsman always knows if he has knicked it', I will ask again (since the last guy I asked this of disappeared all of a sudden):

How many of you have faced bowlers around 140kph within stadiums filled with thousands of people?

Only giving opinions mate. I doubt anywhere here has played test cricket, but I'm quite sure plenty have faced bowling that quick. I played cricket for 24 years and I have never spoken to anyone that stated they were unsure if they knicked one or not. The close ones you feel not always hear. But that's only my experience and yours may be different.

 

[fairdinkum]

Only giving opinions mate. I doubt anywhere here has played test cricket, but I'm quite sure plenty have faced bowling that quick. I played cricket for 24 years and I have never spoken to anyone that stated they were unsure if they knicked one or not. The close ones you feel not always hear. But that's only my experience and yours may be different.

Yeah, I'm sure a lot of us have 'faced' one or two bowlers who bowl quick. However, you would have had to have played a very decent amount of cricket against such pace (at least top level grade cricket) to have faced enough (and edged enough) deliveries to categorically rule out the possibility that a batsman might edge a ball so faintly he did not actually know one way or another.

I was given cb earlier this season facing one my the league's quicker bowlers (still nowhere near Test pace I'd suggest) and I didn't reckon I'd hit it, and got mixed reports from the slips and other fielsdman at tea. That was with no crowd to boot. So yeah, I'm not about to suggest Bell must have 'known' from the comfort of my airconditioned study.

 

[swannies]

I say yes- He knew he touched the ball and used the referral system in the hope of getting out of it- and he did. Disgraceful stuff. Poor form old chap.

Well, actually the blame rests with Alim Dah?, the umpire. I coach and umpire junior cricket, you know you heard a nick, so why change the decision? For nothing else he deserves to be hauled over the coals for this.

 

[rickyp]

Well, actually the blame rests with Alim Dah?, the umpire. I coach and umpire junior cricket, you know you heard a nick, so why change the decision? For nothing else he deserves to be hauled over the coals for this.

Why does he bother to accept the referral at all if he's just going to give it out anyway?

 

[skipper kelly]

Yeah, I'm sure a lot of us have 'faced' one or two bowlers who bowl quick. However, you would have had to have played a very decent amount of cricket against such pace (at least top level grade cricket) to have faced enough (and edged enough) deliveries to categorically rule out the possibility that a batsman might edge a ball so faintly he did not actually know one way or another.

Of course its a possibility. The wording I agreed with may be a bit harsh but in general I reckon batsmen know if they have hit it. The quickest I faced was seriously quick, moreso in the bloody nets, and no I didn't edge many of them. Not good enough.

I was given cb earlier this season facing one my the league's quicker bowlers (still nowhere near Test pace I'd suggest) and I didn't reckon I'd hit it, and got mixed reports from the slips and other fielsdman at tea. That was with no crowd to boot.

You probably didn't hit it. Isn't that one of the greats things about cricket. It's up to the umpire, and especially in lower grades like we play/played, its also up to the players to assist.

So yeah, I'm not about to suggest Bell must have 'known' from the comfort of my airconditioned study.

I haven't accused Bell of cheating. He didn't.

If I had to put my last dollar on whether Bell knew he hit it or not and was able to find the exact truth, then I would bet that he knew. He's not going to admit this though and I wouldn't expect him to, unless of course it was to sell a book in the future. I reckon Pieterson knew also in the other Test. Neither cheated in anyway. Bell used the rules. I don't understand why more players don't do it when there are referrals available.

Personally I want them to refer everything. It will be the only way to get the rules change.

 

[swannies]

Why does he bother to accept the referral at all if he's just going to give it out anyway?

That's my point, exactly. Bell is entitled to refer but from what I heard the commentators saying it was left up to the umpire by the fourth umpire. If they'd been able to look at snicko they would have told Bell to walk. The first rule of umpiring is the umpire is always right, correct? I am still dumbfounded he reversed his decision if the 4th umpire couldn't find evidence to rule out or not out. Or have I interpreted what went on wrongly?

 

[Dipper]

Lets not do away with the review system because of one bad decision. If they make sure the umpires learn from this and get the right decision in the future then it's a good thing.

Anyway, i'm much happier with only a couple of shockers for the series than the 14 bad decisions that were counted in this thread that would have been made without the review system.

Bravo!

A bit of common sense.

 

[Dipper]

Your ignorance is staggering...Trying to compare the Koala to the make up of the "english" team is laughable.

I will stand and applaud him because he was raised and played all his cricket in AUS...His childhood dream was to wear the baggygreen NOT to be a cricket mercenary

His dream was to wear the baggygreen....it's just that in his dreams the baggygreen that he was wearing had a big gold star on the front.