WATCH: Baby Proteas opener’s dodgy dismissal

The Baby Proteas, currently involved in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, are the “victims” of a heated debate of cricket rules and the so-called “spirit of the game”.

Opener Jiveshan Pillay was controversially given out obstructing the field in Wednesday’s pool game against the West Indies after innocuously picking up a the ball.

The left-hander had chased a wide delivery but got an inside edge, with the ball stopping close to his off-stump.

West Indian skipper Emmanuel Stewart appealed and the decision was referred to the third umpire.

He eventually ruled Pillay was out after several replays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNIkczbMKbQ

Various observers argue that because Pillay waited for the ball to be stationary, he didn’t interfere with play and that the ball was dead.

However, the problem is that Law 37.4 states that “either batsman is out obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he/she uses the bat or any part of his/her person to return the ball to any fielder.”

In this case, it would seem that Pillay was given out on the basis that he didn’t have the “consent” of the fielder.

National U-19 coach Lawrence Mahatlane was diplomatic about the incident.

“Our take is very simple: we play to the laws of the game and it’s part of the laws,” he said in a television interview.

But Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis wasn’t.

He took to Twitter to air his grievance.

“This is a absolute joke…not in the spirit of the game. I have done this almost a 100 times,” he wrote.

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