Watch: Brendon McCullum, who said he will not be “having a beer” with the Australian team after the controversial dismissed of Jonny Bairstow by Pat Cummins’ team during the second Ashes, was involved in a similar incident in 2006.
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During the second innings of the first Test at Christchurch against Sri Lanka, New Zealand wicketkeeper McCullum ran out Muttiah Muralitharan controversially at the non-striker’s end after the latter stepped out to celebrate teammate Kumar Sangakkara’s hundred.
On the first ball of the 54th over by Shane Bond, Sangakkara brought up his hundred with a single towards fine leg. Muralitharan grounded his bat at the striker’s end and immediately walked towards his partner to congratulate him for the feat, assuming that the ball was dead.
However, both batters were left shell-shocked when fielder Chris Martin threw the ball back to McCullum, who whipped off the bails and appealed. The square-leg umpire raised his finger as Muralitharan was found well short, having meandered away after grounding his bat.
According to the MCC laws, a ball is only dead when “it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”
In this particular instance, the New Zealand fielders regarded the ball in play when Martin picked it up and threw it back to McCullum, who instantly whipped off the bails in one motion.
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McCullum later publicly apologised for the incident during his MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture, delivered at Lord’s in 2016.
“We were playing Sri Lanka at Lancaster Park in Christchurch in late 2006. Kumar Sangakkara scored a magnificent 100 in the second innings. When Kumar reached his 100, Sri Lanka were nine down – the ball was still in the air being returned to me as wicketkeeper when Murali left his ground to congratulate Kumar. When the ball arrived in my gloves, I removed the bails and appealed. Murali was given out and we went on to win the match.
Not surprisingly, the incident created controversy and bad feelings. The Sri Lankans were stunned. Their captain Mahela Jayawardene said at the time: ‘Legally it was run out, the ball was alive, but we play in an age where we talk about the spirit of the game. Hopefully it won’t happen again. It’s not the way to play cricket.’
“If I could turn back time, I would. We were within the laws of the game but not the spirit and there is a very important difference which is glaringly obvious to me years later, and it’s that aspect that I want to focus on a little more this evening.
“Because nearly ten years after running out Murali, I view things very differently and I would hope that I am am a very different person. Kumar Sangakkara is here tonight. Sanga, I admire you enormously. I regard you as a friend. And I take this opportunity to apologise to you and Murali for my actions on that day.”
View the incident here:
Watch the apology here:
