Shoaib Malik Not Out Caught Behind — Multan 2006

The 2006 India tour of Pakistan was only the second bilateral Test series between the two nations since cricket relations were restored in 2004. The series carried enormous weight — both on cricketing grounds and as a diplomatic exercise between the two nations.

The Multan Cricket Stadium, built in 2001, was one of Pakistan's newer Test venues — a ground with a reputation for flat, batting-friendly pitches that typically rewarded patience and technique. The city of Multan, known as the 'City of Saints', was hosting major international cricket for only the second time.

Shoaib Malik, a right-handed middle-order batsman who also bowled off-spin, was an important figure in Pakistan's middle order. He was developing into a consistent performer at Test level and was valued for his ability to accumulate runs against high-quality spin bowling — a crucial skill for sub-continental cricket.

Pakistan batted first at Multan and the Indian bowling attack — led by Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan — were trying to exploit any early assistance from the pitch. MS Dhoni, who had recently been installed as India's wicketkeeper, was keeping for his first India-Pakistan Test series.

Shoaib Malik came in to bat after Pakistan's top order had laid a foundation. The Indian bowlers had been accurate and were creating pressure. An Indian bowler generated movement and the ball appeared to take the inside edge of Malik's bat before carrying to Dhoni standing up at the stumps.

Dhoni appealed with certainty, as did the entire Indian slip cordon. Umpire Rudi Koertzen — who features repeatedly in the history of controversial umpiring decisions at the highest level — considered and gave it not out. The Indian players stood in disbelief. Replays showed what appeared to be a clear deflection off the inside edge.

The caught-behind incident during Shoaib Malik's innings in the Multan Test became the most discussed umpiring moment of the 2006 India-Pakistan series. An Indian delivery found the inside edge of Malik's bat — or appeared to, based on the broadcast replays available — before carrying through to Dhoni's gloves.

Umpire Koertzen's not-out decision was questioned immediately by the Indian team. The broadcast replays were shown repeatedly and the majority of commentary interpreted them as showing an inside edge. However, without DRS — which was not available in any bilateral series in 2006 — the decision was final.

Malik went on to score a significant innings that contributed to Pakistan's first-innings total. Pakistan won the Multan Test, putting themselves in a strong position in the series. India rallied but the series result — Pakistan winning — meant the home team's advantage was maintained.

The diplomatic context of the series meant that controversy over umpiring was handled carefully. Neither board wanted to create a political incident out of a cricket dispute, and the incident was noted in the analysis columns rather than becoming a full-scale diplomatic row.

MS Dhoni, in later interviews when discussing the history of Indian wicketkeeping, referenced the importance of DRS for edge detection — an implicit acknowledgement of matches where catches had been disputed without the benefit of technology.

“Every wicketkeeper knows when he's taken an edge. That was an edge. There is nothing more I can say.”

“I didn't feel anything. The umpire gave it not out and that's the decision I had to accept.”

“This is the same umpire, different series, different year, same story. When does it end?”

“Cricket between India and Pakistan is too important to be decided by bad umpiring decisions. We need technology.”

India's dressing room was frustrated after the decision. Sourav Ganguly — still a senior figure in the team — and Rahul Dravid, the more diplomatic captain, handled the post-match conversations carefully. Neither blamed the umpiring publicly for the series result, maintaining the diplomatic tenor of the tour.

The series overall was celebrated as a success for cricket diplomacy. The on-field umpiring controversies were understood to be a feature of cricket without technology, rather than evidence of bias. Both boards acknowledged that future series should consider DRS adoption.

Umpire Koertzen's involvement in yet another high-profile controversy added to a significant list of major decisions he had been involved in — including the Ponting edge in the 2003 World Cup Final and Clarke's reprieve at Cardiff in 2009.