Ex-England cricketer Tim Bresnan spills he, umpire Rod Tucker got death threats for denying Sachin Tendulkar his 100th century

Former England cricketer Tim Bresnan has divulged that he and umpire Rod Tucker got death threats for denying Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar his 100th century during the Test series between India and England in 2011.

It was the time when Master Blaster was affixed on 99 international hundreds for some time but appeared to be moving towards his landmark 100th century during the fourth Test at the Oval. With India 0-3 down in the series and Sachin enduring a lean pitch with only one fifty in the first three Tests, a century looked to be on the horizon for the right handed batsman.

But when he was batting on 91 runs, a delivery from English all-rounder Bresnan clipped Sachin Tendulkar’s pads. A huge appeal followed and the umpire Tucker raised his fingers, all though the ball looked to be missing the leg stump. And since the BCCI was not in support of the DRS back then, India and Sachin didn’t have the option to review.

“He was on 99 international hundreds and there were no referrals in that series because the BCCI didn’t like it,” said Bresnan while speaking on the Yorkshire Cricket: Covers Off podcast.

“It was at The Oval in the last Test of the series. This ball, it was probably missing leg anyway, and umpire (Tucker), Aussie lad, shot him out. He was on 80-odd as well (91), definitely going to get it (his century). We win the series and go to number one in the world.”

And what came after that was an absolute chaos. For many days Bresnan and Tucker would be at the receiving end of people’s fury. They also received many letters, objecting to the decision and things had culminated to such an intensity that Tucker would eventually sought protection from the police in order to feel safe.

“We both got death threats, me and this umpire, we got death threats for ages after,” Bresnan went on. “I got them on Twitter and he (Tucker) had people writing to him to his home address and stuff, getting proper death threats going, ‘How dare you give him out? It was missing leg.’ I caught up with him a few months later and he was like, ‘Mate, I’ve had to get a security guard and stuff.’ He had police protection around his gaff in Australia.”

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