Marnus Labuschagne caused a stir by asking to bring a CIGARETTE LIGHTER with him during a break in play in the Sydney Test as the Aussie star survived a controversial not out call to hit 79 runs
- Eccentric Aussie batsman asked for a lighter while at the crease at the SCG
- In-form Marnus Labuschagne was keen to burn some material on his helmet
- Fox Sports’ Mark Howard joked the star athlete ‘doesn’t like darts’ while playing
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne turned heads after strangely asking his teammates for a cigarette while at the crease in Sydney.
The South African born star, 28, doesn’t smoke – he wanted to burn some material off his helmet with a lighter on the first day of the Third Test.
Fox Sports commentator Mark Howard joked Labuschagne ‘didn’t want a dart’ in the middle – it was about some running arrangement.
Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne was turned away after asking his teammates for a cigarette inside the crease in Sydney during the Third Test.
The South African born star, 28, doesn’t smoke – he likes to burn some material in his helmet with a lighter
Labuschagne later lit up social media after third umpire Richard Kettleborough disallowed him in a highly controversial decision.
Moments before on-field umpire Paul Reiffel sent the call up with a faint signal of out – and much to the dismay of the Proteas, the 2022 ICC batsman of the year was given a reprieve.
South African spinner Simon Harmer maintained that he took a low catch, but after several replays, Labuschagne was given the benefit of the doubt.
Moments later, Marnus Labuschagne was given out – only to be given a reprieve by the third umpire (pictured, Proteas players relay their thoughts)
And seconds before the decision went in his favour, a confident – and many would say loud – Labuschagne asked for middle stump, insisting the ball was not carried.
The decision will further fuel ongoing talk that Labuschagne is the ‘luckiest man’ in world cricket, with many cricket fans feeling the eccentric star often gets the rub of the green. .
‘In a lot of the slow motion footage you see, you see his fingers pushing and splitting,’ Labuschagne said after the game closed. ‘Technically, some of the ball touches the grass whether his fingers are under it or not.
‘It was just difficult because back in the day, or even before we had this technology and camera work, they would send you packing.’
‘I feel the South Africans could have been quite aggrieved by it,’ former Test batsman Michael Hussey told Fox Cricket when analyzing the outcome.
Proteas players are furious with the decision, led by under pressure skipper Dean Elgar (second from left)
‘The soft signal is gone. I felt the ball landed on the fingers and he was able to scoop it (Harmer).
‘His fingers were down, it hit the tops of the fingers, pushing them back.
‘I don’t think there’s any conclusive evidence there to overturn that decision.’
Former South African great Shaun Pollock said his countrymen were ‘gasping’ the outcome as they looked to avoid a 3-0 series whitewash.
Not long after the Labuschagne test, play at the SCG was suspended due to bad lighting.
Australia were well placed at 1/138 from 43 overs, with Labuschagne unbeaten on 73, while Usman Khawaja was 51 not out.
