London: Former England pacer Tim Bresnan has said he and umpire Rod Tucker received death threats after the latter adjudged Sachin Tendulkar leg before wicket (LBW) in a 2011 Test, depriving the cricket legend of what would have been his 100th international century.
Chasing an elusive 100th international century, Tendulkar was given lbw on 91 and it was a close call with replays showing the ball just about clipping leg stump.
Tendulkar played across the line and was struck in front but the drift was taking it onto leg. India lost the fourth Test at The Oval by an innings and eight runs.
Tendulkar did get his 100th international hundred on March 16 in 2012 against Bangladesh in an ODI in Dhaka.
“He was on 99 international hundreds and there were no referrals in that series because the BCCI didn’t like it,” said Bresnan while speaking on the Yorkshire Cricket: Covers Off podcast.
“It was at The Oval in the last Test of the series. This ball, it was probably missing leg anyway, and umpire (Tucker), Aussie lad, shot him out. He was on 80-odd as well (91), definitely going to get it (his century). We win the series and go to number one in the world,” said the 35-year old who has played 23 Tests, 85 ODIs and 34 T20Is for England.
Bresnan said both he and umpire Tucker received death threats after that.
“We both got death threats, me and this umpire, we got death threats for ages after. I got them on Twitter and he (Tucker) had people writing to him to his home address and stuff, getting proper death threats going, ‘How dare you give him out? It was missing leg.’ I caught up with him a few months later and he was like, ‘Mate, I’ve had to get a security guard and stuff.’ He had police protection around his gaff in Australia.”
IANS
