Arthur - I'm sure it bounced

Proteas coach reveals de Villiers criticised by England players at lunch

Last updated: 19th July 2008  

Arthur - I'm sure it bounced

Amla: Instructed by his coach to return to the middle

It is very much my business. Hashim Amla is probably the most polite guy in the world, a very disciplined boy. He wouldn't have questioned anything.

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur
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South Africa coach Mickey Arthur insists he did nothing wrong in telling Hashim Amla to return to the middle, stating that he was 100 percent sure the catch Michael Vaughan had claimed had actually bounced.

The England captain dived forward to grasp a leading edge from the Proteas batsman just before the close of play on a sensational opening day to the second Test at Headingley Carnegie.

After originally seeming to accept his dismissal Amla began heading off the field, only for Arthur to come down and tell him to stand firm having seen a replay of the incident.

The decision was eventually passed on to the third umpire Richard Kettleborough, who after looking at several different angles gave it 'not out'. Amla went on to reach the close unbeaten on 18.

Rights

"I'm 100 percent sure it bounced," Arthur said on the second moment of controversy in Friday's play.

"When it actually happened we thought it looked 50/50. Luckily the replay came up before Hash was off the ground, and I could get out there and tell him to stand.

"It is very much my business. Hashim Amla is probably the most polite guy in the world, a very disciplined boy. He wouldn't have questioned anything.

"I felt I was well within my rights to go out there and tell him to stand so we could get the correct decision - and I believe the correct decision was made. I think it was very, very clear."

Ironically a similar occurrence happened in England's first innings of 203; AB de Villiers claiming a catch at second slip off the edge of Andrew Strauss' bat.

Television pictures showed the fielder had grounded the ball, leading to the batsmen being recalled to continue, albeit for not much longer as he was out just four runs later.

Criticism

Arthur - an enthusiastic advocate of a video referral system which was originally scheduled to be used in the series - revealed that de Villiers had taken some criticism at the lunch interval from several England players.

"It's fair to say that AB took a lot of criticism at lunchtime from some of the England players - from Michael Vaughan himself," he said.

"AB didn't say anything to Michael. I think he just listened. He is a really good, honest guy who plays the game in the right spirit - and he would never for one minute consider claiming a catch that he didn't think was out.

"He thought it had gone from one hand to the other. It looked pretty ugly on the telly.

"He felt really bad about it, and that is the nature of AB. They are two separate incidents. I think both balls have hit the ground."

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