NZ coach Gary Stead calls for a change in WC rules after final loss

England won the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup's final against New Zealand on boundary count back, a technicality Gary Stead believes need reviewing.

Published : Jul 16, 2019 10:39 IST , Wellington (New Zealand)

Besides calling for a review of the boundary count back rule, New Zealand coach Gary Stead also quipped about not knowing the legalities of the overthrow conditions in the rules of cricket.
Besides calling for a review of the boundary count back rule, New Zealand coach Gary Stead also quipped about not knowing the legalities of the overthrow conditions in the rules of cricket.
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Besides calling for a review of the boundary count back rule, New Zealand coach Gary Stead also quipped about not knowing the legalities of the overthrow conditions in the rules of cricket.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead Tuesday called for the ICC World Cup rules to be reviewed, saying the feeling is “very, very hollow” after England beat it on a bizarre technicality in the showpiece’ final.

Both finalists could not be separated at the end of regular play as well as the Super Over, but England was crowned champions because it had a superior boundary count.

“It’s a very, very hollow feeling that you can play 100 overs and score the same amount of runs and still lose the game, but that’s the technicalities of sport,” Stead told reporters.

WATCH : Ball hitting Stokes' bat and going for four, hard to swallow: Williamson

Hailed by many as the greatest game in the history of one-day internationals, New Zealand was left to rue the boundary count rule a few minutes after a fortuitous, last-over overthrow came to England’s rescue.

“There’s going to be many things they look at over the whole tournament -- I’m sure when they were writing the rules they never expected a World Cup final to happen like that.

“I’m sure it’ll be reviewed (and) there’s many different ways that they’ll probably explore.”

The Black Caps coach shrugged off suggestions England had been mistakenly handed an extra run after a throw from the deep hit the bat of a diving Ben Stokes’ and rolled past the boundary rope in the final over of regular play.

England was awarded six runs but former umpire Simon Taufel said it should only have got five as the batsmen had not crossed for their second run when the throw was made.

“I didn’t actually know that. But at the end of the day the umpires are there to rule.

“They’re human as well, like players, and sometimes there’s a mistake but that’s just the human aspect of sport.”

- Sharing the trophy -

Asked during a media interaction at the team hotel whether he would have preferred New Zealand being declared joint winners, Stead was open to the suggestion.

“Perhaps when you play over a seven—week period and can’t be separated on the final day, that is something should be considered as well,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Stead as saying. “But again that’s one consideration over a whole lot of things that went on over the World Cup. Everything will be reviewed, and I think that it’s a good time to do it now. But probably just let the dust settle for a while.”

However, Craig McMillan, New Zealand’s batting coach believed that sharing the trophy would have been the “right thing” to do.

“It is not going to change yesterday’s result. But what is probably fair to say at the end of seven weeks in a big tournament like this, when you have two teams can’t be separated after a 50—over match and then a Super Over and neither team did actually lose in many ways in terms of runs scored,” said McMillan.

“Then perhaps sharing the trophy would be the right thing to do. It wasn’t to be yesterday, which we all are disappointed with. But it is sport and those were the rules.”

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