"Bit irresponsible, shows some inexperience"- Australian legends slam Shubman Gill's reaction to controversial Cameron Green catch during WTC final
Australian cricketing legends Justin langer and Ricky Ponting have criticized Indian opener Shubman Gill for his reaction to his dismissal during the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
All-rounder Cameron Green claimed a catch in the slip cordon after it flew off Gill's outside edge off Scott Boland's bowling in the fourth innings of the Test at the Oval. The third umpire looked at the replays and felt there was conclusive evidence to suggest Green's fingers were underneath the ball when he caught it.
Shubman Gill, who had gotten off to a good start and scored a run-a-ball 18 before his dismissal, was certainly not happy with the decision made by the third umpire.
He decided to express himself on social media shortly after play ended on Day 4. Gill posted a photo of the moment where Cameron Green was about to complete the catch and indicated that he felt the ball touched the grass.
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Justin Langer highlighted the importance of young cricketers like Gill controlling their emotions in the age of social media. He said:
“One of the challenges now of a modern-day cricketer is there’s so much social media. The Gill tweet I think is a bit irresponsible, shows some inexperience. This is the world we live in with social media.”
Ricky Ponting feels Shubman Gill could be suspended
Ricky Ponting was also present in the discussion and he too felt that Shubman Gill could be fined or suspended for taking an indirect dig at the third umpire. He felt the reaction from the opener wasn't needed as he already had the support of the fans.
On this, Ponting stated:
“Something is definitely going to come of that. There will be some sort of fine, or maybe even a suspension. That is a direct crack at the umpire for the decision that they made. You can’t do that. The whole world was going to do that for him anyway he didn’t need to say a word.”
Gill couldn't quite replicate the form that he showed in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League, in which he scored 890 runs in 17 matches, in the WTC final. Australia did well to restrict him to just 13 and 18 across two innings on their way to a 209-run win at the Oval.