LSG Coach Andy Flower shows middle finger to umpires during heated argument over crowd behavior in IPL 2023

• Image Credit: tribune india

• May 14, 2023 | Poonam Nath

The crowd reportedly flung nuts and bolts at the LSG dugout after the third umpire ruled a no-ball in favour...

Digital Desk: The crowd disrupted the game in the final over of the 58th Match of the IPL 2023 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants by hurling nuts and bolts at the LSG dugout following a contentious decision over a full toss delivery bowled by Avesh Khan. The ball was first ruled no-ball by the on-field umpires, but the ruling was later reversed by the third umpire after LSG reviewed it.

Following that, the game was halted for quite some time due to a violent debate between the umpires and the two managements. LSG coach Andy Flower gave the umpires the middle finger while dealing with the disturbance in the LSG dugout. 

Notably, police intervention occurred during the game, as some LSG support workers had to step out of the dugout onto the field to protect themselves from the hostile crowd. 

Later, SRH's leading run-scorer of the innings, Heinrich Klaasen, called such crowd activities "disappointing," while claiming that the disturbance also caused a shift in the momentum, which had appeared to be in SRH's advantage.

"I was disappointed with the audience. That's not what you're looking for at the venue. We were very dissatisfied (because) that shattered our momentum. "It's not a great umpiring decision, but it's part of the game," Klaasen remarked.

The disruptive behaviour of the Hyderabad audience has drawn widespread attention, with former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar also weighing in on the matter, criticising the Hyderabad Cricket Association for failing to provide enough dugout protection to the teams. He stated that, while most dugouts nowadays have flexi-glass, the ones in Hyderabad just had a 'beach umbrella kind of thing'. 

"What's difficult to grasp is that most dugouts have flexi-glass. We have a beach umbrella that provides little protection. Come on, the Hyderabad Cricket Association can offer decent dugouts rather than these improvised structures. "These are obviously a problem, an issue," Gavaskar remarked.