Leg Before Wicket (LBW) in cricket is a method of dismissing a batsman. The batsman is out LBW if specific conditions are met based on the rules of cricket.
Understanding LBW
Here's a breakdown of the LBW rule:
- Interception: The batsman intercepts the ball with any part of their body (except their hand holding the bat).
- Position: The interception occurs in line between the wickets.
- No Bat Involved: The ball must not have touched the bat or the hand holding the bat before hitting the batsman's body.
- Pitching: According to cricket rules, the ball has to pitch in line with the wickets or on the offside for a right-handed batsman (or the onside for a left-handed batsman). If the ball pitches outside the leg stump, the batsman will not be out.
- Trajectory: The ball would have hit the wickets if the interception hadn't occurred.
In simpler terms, if the umpire believes the ball would have hit the wickets, but the batsman's leg (or other body part, excluding the hand holding the bat) blocked it, and the other conditions are met, the batsman is declared out LBW.
