[Watch] Umpire makes ‘John Cena’ move as Imran Tahir blocks his view in Qualifier 1 of CPL 2023
Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) skipper Imran Tahir blocked the on-field umpire's view on the first ball of his spell during Qualifier 1 of the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2023) against Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). That led to the umpire making the famous John Cena move to indicate that he couldn't see the ball.
Tahir came into the attack in the fifth over of TKR's innings. On the very first ball, Mark Deyal attempted to play the slog sweep. However, the southpaw failed to make any connection, and the ball crashed into his pads.
Interestingly, there was a big appeal from the veteran spinner, but the on-field umpire wasn't able to make a decision. The official then signalled that he wasn't able to view the delivery as Imran Tahir blocked his vision.
The GAW skipper was quick to opt for the DRS and was ultimately able to get the result in his favor, with ball-tracking showing three reds.
Here is the video of the incident:
Imran Tahir has been in impressive form in the CPL 2023, picking up 13 wickets from 11 outings at an economy rate of 6.86.
Imran Tahir and company suffer 7-wicket loss in Qualifier 1 vs TKR
TKR won the toss and chose to field first in the crucial encounter. For GAW, Saim Ayub and Azam Khan were the top performers with the bat, scoring 49 and 36 runs, respectively.
The Guyana-based side finished at 166/7 in 20 overs. Terrance Hinds and Waqar Salamkheil starred with the ball, bagging two scalps each.
The Knight Riders chased down the target comfortably in 18.1 overs to clinch a seven-wicket win.
Opener Chadwick Walton remained unbeaten on 80, guiding his team to a comprehensive win. For GAW, Dwaine Pretorius bagged two wickets, while Imran Tahir finished with a solitary scalp.
With their victory, TKR became the first team to qualify for the CPL 2023 final. Guyana, on the other hand, will compete against the Jamaica Tallawahs in Qualifier 2 at the Providence Stadium on Friday.