MUMBAI – New Zealand match referee Jeff Crowe found himself involved in more World Cup final controversy as confusion reigned at the toss between India and Sri Lanka on Saturday.
After India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni spun the coin, it looked as if he thought he had won the toss.
But Crowe did not hear a call from Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara who, as the visiting skipper was supposed to nominate ‘heads’ or ‘tails’ while the coin was in the air.
There was a brief discussion between the two captains before former New Zealand skipper Crowe ordered a re-toss — an almost unheard of event in any cricket match and certainly one of this importance.
It was not the first time Crowe had been at the centre of a World Cup final controversy.
Four years ago in Barbados, when Australia beat Sri Lanka, Crowe was the match referee who oversaw a mistake by officials that led to the game resuming in near total darkness.
The officials had forgotten that, as 20 overs had been bowled in the second innings, a result could be declared.
Crowe, when pressed at a post-match news conference, blamed that error on now retired South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, who was the television replay official for that match.
