Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting, who was in quarantine as one of his family members were tested positive for Covid during his team's match against Rajasthan Royals on April 22, revealed why captain Rishabh Pant sent assistant coach Pravin Amre on the field during the no-ball controversy in the ball over of the match. Ponting feels that the camp was frustrated with Covid and the quarantine case.
“It was all wrong, everything about it was wrong. The umpire was wrong but you have got to get on with it. For our players to demonstrate what they did and to have our assistant coach run onto the field, it's not anything we are happy with or proud of. I have spoken to the guys about that,” Ponting was quoted as saying to Star Sports.
"Hey , we've got a total of three s in the squad!" #YehHaiNayiDilli | #IPL2022 #TATAIPL | #IPL | #DelhiCapitals | @Ravipowell26 | @RickyPonting pic.twitter.com/RmlawHVScI
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 27, 2022
“But KP (Kevin Pietersen), we have had a pretty tough time at DC over the last few weeks. We have had Covid cases, we have been locked in the hotel room and, I think, just all the frustration that built up. It was a close game and it all just came out there in that moment. That was a lion in the sand moment for us, it was the halfway time of the tournament. We said we would leave all that behind and move to the 2nd half of the tournament with a better attitude,” he added.
What was the no-ball controversy?
With 36 runs needed in the last six balls for Delhi Capitals, Rovman Powell hit six of the first two balls of the over to left-arm pacer Obed McCoy. In the third ball, he again hit a full toss ball for a maximum and that full toss according to Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant and team management was a no-ball.
But the on-field umpire did not give a no-ball and even refused to consult the third umpire hence Pant threatened to forfeit the match and asked both Powell and Kuldeep Yadav to come out of the field.
Assistant coach Praveen Amre entered the field to request umpires to go to the third umpire but the on-field umpires Nitin Menon and Nikhil Patwardhan did not budge.
