Shan Masood was given out lbw off the bowling of Stuart Broad in Derbyshire’s County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire, with the moment leading to an amusing exchange between Kevin Pietersen, former Australia quick James Pattinson, and Broad himself.
The dismissal denied Masood a final shot at completing 1,000 first-class runs before the end of May, with the umpire’s decision coming in for some criticism.
Pietersen took to Instagram to question the decision, offering Masood some technical advice in the process. “That’s not out and I don’t know why left-handed batters don’t bat on middle and off to Broad,” he said. “Anything left eye and outside is missing stumps and anything straight should be clipped through leg!”
Broad replied, suggesting that Pietersen’s proposed technical tweak was not likely to prove successful in England. “I think Davey Warner tried that for a bit,” he said.” Easier abroad with more bounce. That lower seam movement in England brings stumps into [the] game so if [you] miss it, DRS gives you out maybe.”
Pattinson, Broad’s Nottinghamshire teammate, opted for a different tone in response to Pietersen. “Is that the same message you sent to the South African players?” he wrote, followed by a string of emojis.
James Pattinson firing shots from out of nowhere 😂 pic.twitter.com/yv67CixoU1
— Daniel (@DanSenior97) May 22, 2022
Pattinson was referring to the text-gate scandal in 2012, in which Pietersen was dropped from England’s Test side for messages sent to their opponents, South Africa, rumoured to detail tactical suggestions of how the visiting bowlers could get England captain Andrew Strauss out.
Pietersen wasn’t the only one to question the Masood dismissal, with Broad replying to others defending the umpire’s judgement. In a reply to cricket writer Rob Johnston, who suggested the impact of the ball with the pad was “clearly outside the line”, Broad said that it was “as dead as they come.
“The mystery of an off line camera,” he tweeted. “As dead as they come. 3 reds no doubt. DRS has proven my angle for LBWs since 2015 normally hits inline and this was inside my normally [sic] line. Hence every player on [the] field thinks out.”
The mystery of an off line camera. As dead as they come. 3 reds no doubt. DRS has proven my angle for LBWs since 2015 normally hits inline & this was inside my normally line. Hence every player on field thinks out
— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) May 21, 2022
