'Har ball pe chillata hai. He keeps jumping like a pigeon': Umpire Anil Chaudhary's 'loser' take on Rizwan's appeals

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Indian cricket umpire Anil Chaudhary, who officiated in over 50 international matches across formats, on Saturday opened up on Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan's tendency to appeal frequently during a match, saying that he had even warned his colleagues about the same, telling them to stay aware of his act.

Speaking on YouTube show ‘2 sloggers’, Chaudhary was asked whether he ever umpired in a match where Rizwan played. Although he failed to recognise the player instantly, he then remembered an Asia Cup encounter where Rizwan kept appealing repeatedly. He then said that umpires tend to differentiate between good and bad wicketkeepers based on the kind of appeals them make during a match.

“He appeals a lot. I even told my fellow umpire to stay aware. Har ball pe chillata hai (He keeps shouting on every ball). Isn't he the one who puts something like a lipstick? He keeps jumping like a pigeon. See, fact is a good umpire knows who is a good keeper. If the umpire is good, these keepers are losers. Aur itna technology aa gaya hai, kyun apna beizatti karwa rahein ho? Ulta seedha nikla jayega, toh log aap hi ka mazak udayenge (When technology has eveolved so much, why do you have to make yourself look bad? People tend to make fun of such things),” he said.

Mohammad Rizwan scored unbeaten 171 against Bangladesh in 1st Test

Rizwan and vice-captain Saud Shakeel scored their respective centuries as Pakistan amassed 448-6 declared in the first innings of the first test against Bangladesh on Thursday. Rizwan hit a career-best 171 not out off 239 balls while left-hander Shakeel continued his imperious form in red-ball cricket with 141 runs off 261 before Pakistan declared late on the second day.

However, Bangladesh took a lead by 117 runs in the first innings after being folded for 565 runs in the final session on Day 4 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Mushfiqur Rahim recorded the highest individual score by a Bangladesh batter in Pakistan during the innings, scoring 191 for his 11th Test century. The 37-year-old overtook the previous highest individual score of 119 by Javed Omar, scored in Peshawar in 2003, and was lucky to get a life on 150 when Babar Azam dropped him off Salman Agha at leg slip.

The second and final Test will also be played in Rawalpindi, from August 30.