Stuart Broad wants ICC to look into the matter of the soft signal after a controversial call during the ongoing England and New Zealand Test match. The debate on whether soft signals should be banned from the game keeps coming up.
The topic gained attention during the recent limited-overs T20I series between India and England when Suryakumar Yadav was given out contentiously when the fielder Dawid Malan at the boundary rope (fine-leg) seemed to touch the ball while taking a clean catch.
Dawid Malan claimed the catch, but replays showed that he might have grassed it. Suryakumar Yadav was eventually ruled out which raised a furore over how the on-field umpire can give a decision (read ‘soft signal’) when he does not have a clear sight of the incident in real-time.
Stuart Broad: One Can See From England Players Reaction That Devon Conway Was Caught But It Was Not To Be
Now, Stuart Broad seems to be one of the many voices to suggest a complete stop on soft signal following a controversial moment on the second day of the ongoing Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston. The incident occurred when the home team was desperate to get the wicket of in-form batsman Devon Conway.
Stuart Broad induced an edge from the batsman and he was confident that fielder Zak Crawley had taken a clean catch. But the on-field umpires were unsure whether the catch was caught perfectly and hence they went upstairs with a soft signal of not out being given to the TV umpire Michael Gough.
As with the soft signals, if the on-field umpires give not out then there should be conclusive evidence for the TV umpire to overturn the decision. In Devon Conway’s case, the umpires failed to find any evidence and Michael Gough eventually stuck with the soft signal thereby ruling Devon Conway not out.
The southpaw went on to score 80 runs and put the visitors in ascendancy. Stuart Broad was not impressed by this verdict and has asked the ICC to make do with this rule of the soft signal.
“You can see from our reaction on the field that we thought it was out,” Broad told Sky Sports before play on the third day.
“Zak thought he had his fingers under the ball and you only have to look at Joe Root’s reaction at first slip and James Bracey’s reaction behind the stumps – who are a yard away from it – to know that that ball has carried.”
Devon Conway, who cemented his place in the side with 200 on debut in the series opener at Lord’s, produced another valuable, though not chance-less, innings of 80. And, while he would have been disappointed not to press on to triple figures again, a gutsy 82 from Will Young – in the side as a replacement for injured captain Kane Williamson – mitigated the damage.
Stuart Broad Empathized With The Umpires On The Soft Signal Rule
The veteran right-arm pacer though supported the umpires by saying that it’s their job to send upstairs if they are not sure about the catch taken cleanly. Stuart Broad felt the umpires are always put in these tricky situations and he feels for them.
“It’s actually the ruling that’s putting the umpires in a really difficult situation. It’s having to get a soft signal. You’re going upstairs because you’re not sure whether it’s carried or not. So then to have to give an opinion whether you think it has, puts the umpire in a really tricky position. Then the third umpire’s hands are tied a little bit with whatever that on-field call is,” the fast bowler said.
Having resumed on 229 for 3, still, 74 runs behind, New Zealand lost their remaining seven wickets for 96 runs, but that wasn’t quick enough for England, who collapsed to 76 for 7 still nine runs adrift, only clawing their way ahead via an eighth-wicket partnership between Mark Wood and Olly Stone.
The home side was left reeling at 3 for 30 as Matt Henry tore through their top order on either side of tea and by the close, they were nine down and just 37 runs ahead,
England 303 and 122 for 9 (Wood 29, Wagner 3-18, Henry 3-36) lead New Zealand 388 (Young 82, Conway 80, Taylor 80, Broad 4-48) by 37 runs