Azmatullah Omarzai castled Brian Bennett during the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI on Monday, October 19. But the delivery was deemed a dead ball. Here's why.
The incident happened in the eighth over of Zimbabwe’s innings when Omarzai clean bowled Bennett. Though Bennett had gone for the shot, he pointed out to the umpire that the bowler’s towel fell just before he delivered the ball, and so did captain Sikandar Raza.
Umpire Ahsan Raza, seemingly after consultation with leg-umpire Farooq Khan, called the delivery a dead ball, handing Bennett a reprieve.
🚨 ONE OF THE WILDEST CONTROVERSIES IN CRICKET! 🥶🏏 Azmatullah Omarzai clean-bowled Brian Bennett, but his towel fell just before the ball was delivered, and the umpire called it a dead ball! 😱 Was it the correct decision, or should the wicket have stood? 🤯🔥 #Cricket #Controversy https://t.co/YsIQjC5D9c
— Kashif (@KashifNdmCric) October 20, 2026
But was the right decision made?
What do the laws say?
Clause 20.4.2.6 of ICC Men’s ODI Playing Conditions, which deals with the umpires calling and signalling dead ball, states, “Either umpire shall call and signal Dead ball when the striker is distracted by any noise or movement or in any other way while preparing to receive, or receiving a delivery. This shall apply whether the source of the distraction is within the match or outside it.”
In this case, the towel falling during Omarzai's run-up was considered a distraction for Bennett while he was receiving the delivery.
However, two on-air commentators had contrasting views about the incident. “My understanding is that Brian Bennett should’ve moved away before he played the stroke,” one said. “It looks like he’s played the stroke, he has been bowled and then he’s made a point of it.”
“I think that (the decision) is quite sensible,” the other commentator stated. “It would’ve certainly distracted the batsman’s vision, his focus. The towel [dropping] in the last couple of seconds. Could the batsman have moved out, not to face the delivery? That’s the big question. But certainly, Bennett picked it up and let the umpire know and I think common sense prevailed in the end.”
As for the match, the reprieve didn’t hurt Afghanistan much as Bennett was eventually dismissed in the 13th over for 31 off 40. Zimbabwe crumbled to 136 all out in the 295-run chase to lose the game by 158 runs and fall to second in the ODI tri-series points table.
Image Credits: Willow TV
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