Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid found himself in the spotlight again during the Sydney Test after a controversial decision involving Australia’s review overturned his call. The discussion around the snickometer, which had already gained attention during the Melbourne Test, has resurfaced.
In Melbourne, Sharfuddoula was the third umpire. On the final day of the Test, he declared India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal out, overruling on-field umpire Joel Wilson’s not-out decision. Despite no visible spike on the snickometer showing ball contact with Jaiswal’s bat or glove, Sharfuddoula ruled him out based on a change in the ball’s trajectory. Fast forward to Sydney, and the tables turned. This time, as the on-field umpire, Sharfuddoula gave a not-out decision for Washington Sundar, only to have third umpire Joel Wilson overturn it.
The incident occurred on the final ball of the 66th over when Sundar attempted a pull shot off Pat Cummins. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey appealed for a catch, but Sharfuddoula dismissed it. Cummins reviewed the call. The snickometer showed a faint spike as the ball passed Sundar’s glove. After reviewing the footage multiple times from various angles, Wilson concluded, “There’s no gap between the ball and the glove,” and reversed Sharfuddoula’s decision, declaring Sundar out.
The decision reignited debates about snickometer reliability, with social media buzzing over the incident. Indian fans, who had previously criticized Sharfuddoula for the Jaiswal decision in Melbourne, pointed out the irony of the current situation.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticized the call on social media, saying, “This is absolutely not out… a terrible decision.” However, Australian legend Mark Waugh supported the ruling, stating, “The ball touched the lower part of the glove. Sundar didn’t feel it, but it’s similar to Jaiswal’s dismissal at the MCG. The glove was involved, and the batter has to go.”
Sundar stood on the field for a moment after the decision before walking off. Jasprit Bumrah, India’s captain, was visibly frustrated and exchanged heated words with on-field umpire Michael Gough.
Earlier in the day, Sharfuddoula had been involved in another review during the 11.5th over of India’s innings. Scott Boland appealed for an LBW and bat-pad catch against Shubman Gill, but Sharfuddoula dismissed the appeal. The review confirmed no contact between bat and ball, and ball-tracking showed the delivery would have gone over the stumps. The Australians lost that review.
By the end of the day, Sharfuddoula’s decisions had led to a 1–1 scoreline in reviews against him. He also played a peacekeeper’s role late in the day when tensions flared. During the final over, Bumrah was interrupted mid-delivery by Usman Khawaja, who wasn’t ready. This annoyed Bumrah, and a heated exchange ensued between him and non-striker Sam Constas. Sharfuddoula stepped in to de-escalate the situation, sending both players back to their positions.
The day’s events have kept Sharfuddoula under the microscope, once again putting the focus on his decision-making and the use of snickometer technology.
