22 Years Later: Steve Bucknor Opens Up on His Controversial Calls Against Sachin Tendulkar

Umpire Steve Bucknor Breaks Silence After 22 Years on Wrongly Giving Sachin Tendulkar Out. Why Did the ‘God of Cricket’ Walk Back to the Pavilion Despite Not Being at Fault? Here’s What Bucknor Said.

Steve Bucknor vs Sachin Tendulkar: The name of umpire Steve Bucknor in the world of cricket brings back memories for every Indian cricket fan of the moments when his wrong decisions forced 'The God of Cricket' Sachin Tendulkar to return to the pavilion. Now, after about 22 years, Steve Bucknor has admitted his mistakes and called them human errors.

When the Umpire Became the Villain

Old cricket fans know well that many of Steve Bucknor's decisions went against Sachin Tendulkar. At that time, there was no DRS (Decision Review System), so the umpire's decision was final. Sachin always maintained his dignity and left the crease without protest, but the fans never forgave Bucknor. Now, in a recent interview, Bucknor has admitted that he still regrets those decisions.

Two Major Mistakes That Changed History

Bucknor specifically mentioned two matches where he made significant errors. The first was the Brisbane Test (2003), where at the Gabba ground against Australia, Bucknor gave Sachin out LBW (Leg Before Wicket) off a ball from Jason Gillespie. Replays clearly showed the ball was going well over the stumps. The second was at Eden Gardens (2005), in a match against Pakistan, where Bucknor gave Sachin out caught off a ball from Abdul Razzaq, even though the ball hadn't come anywhere near the bat.

Bucknor Admits His Fault

Umpire Steve Bucknor said, 'I made two big mistakes. The first time the ball was going over the stumps, and the second time the ball didn't even touch the bat. When you make a wrong decision against such a great player, it stays with you.'

Sachin's Greatness and Bucknor's Regret

While Bucknor's confession may not change history or bring back Sachin's runs, it certainly highlights Sachin Tendulkar's greatness. He never misbehaved with the umpire. An umpire admitting his mistake after decades shows that mistakes can happen to anyone in the game, but sometimes the price of those mistakes can be very high.