West Indies captain responds to obstruction furore

The West Indies captain at the centre of a controversial dismissal in the under-19s Cricket World Cup has responded to the furore with a surprising change of heart.

Emmanuel Stewart, the team's wicketkeeper and skipper, appealed for the wicket of South Africa opener Jiveshan Pillay during a match on Wednesday.

Pillay had picked the ball up and thrown it to Stewart after watching it bounce clear of his stumps.

Cricket rules say a batsman can be given out obstructing the field if a fielder did not consent for the ball to be returned.

Current and former players and fans around the world shared their disgust at the incident, many claiming it went against the 'spirit of cricket'.

And after confirming he told the umpires he did not ask Pillay to throw it back, Stewart revealed he already regretted going ahead with the appeal.

"We had the choice to ask the question, which we did so," said Stewart.

"He was given out within the laws of the game. On reflection, I thought our appeal wasn't in the spirit of the game.

"Moving forward, if I'm in such a situation, I'd withdraw the decision to go upstairs. My teammates share the same sentiments."

Pillay had scored 47 runs before his dismissal, and South Africa went on to win by 76 runs after successfully defending 8-282.

Despite the win, South Africa criticised the West Indies for taking advantage of the rule.

The captain Raynard van Tonder said while his batsman made a mistake, the appeal went against what they were taught about cricket.

"The way we play back home and what we're used to is different," he said.

"Like the ball wasn't even going to hit the stumps. People talk about gentleman's game.

"We want to play hard on the field but we still want to be friends off the field."