Bridgetown: West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has questioned the performance of TV umpire Adrian Holdstock during the first Test against Australia in Barbados, following a spate of debatable review calls on Day 2, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Sammy allegedly met with match referee Javagal Srinath after daily play to request clarification on numerous decisions that went against the West Indies. He also voiced his worries regarding Holdstock's officiating in the recent ODI series in England, in which the South African umpire served as TV umpire in two matches and officied on the field in one.
Two crucial moments on the second day left the West Indies camp disappointed. The initial incident was the dismissal of skipper Roston Chase, who was ruled lbw to Pat Cummins, despite what the West Indies believed was obvious proof of an internal edge. The second was Shai Hope's wicket, who was caught behind by Alex Carey off Beau Webster. The third umpire confirmed that the catch was clean.
We're just trying to get some sort of understanding of what the process is, Sammy said, according to ESPNcricinfo.
We only expect consistency. That's all we could ask for. When there is uncertainty about something, be consistent across the board, he said.
I've noticed, particularly with this specific umpire, that it's something that started for me in England. It's frustrating. He simply requested for consistency in decision-making.
Yeah, look, you don't want to get yourself in a scenario where you're questioning about specific umpires. Is there anything personal against this team? However, when you observe decision after decision, it raises a question. I know he's here for the series. You don't want to enter a Test match with that uncertainty, Sammy said.
I want to have that talk about the process so we can all be clear. At the end of the day, you don't want to go into a Test match without trusting the officials. And that's not what our team stands for. So we're simply seeking for some clarity on the decisions, he said.
You'll have to wait and see on that, according to Sammy when asked if the West Indies would file a formal complaint.
Regarding Chase's dismissal, which occurred right after lunch and broke a 67-run partnership with Hope, Sammy remarked, "In our opinion, we saw the ball deviated onto the pad. "
While Sammy didn't directly challenge the decision on Hope's dismissal, he cited a comparable situation from the previous day, when a catch taken by Hope to dismiss Travis Head was determined not to have carried.
I'm just saying, judge what you see, Sammy told ESPNcricinfo.
If you observe the same thing and one is not outside, there is even more uncertainty about the other one than you give it out. Again, I don't know what he's seen, but based on the pictures we've seen, the decisions aren't fair enough for either team. We're all human. Mistakes will be made. I just want fairness, he said.
Australia also experienced some discontent. In the first over of Day 2, they looked at an lbw situation involving Chase, confident that the ball had hit the pad first. While the initial replays appeared to corroborate their assertion, Holdstock determined that there was insufficient evidence to reverse the on-field choice. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc asked if the visuals and audio in the replays were properly synchronized.
There have been some intriguing ones, according to Starc, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Obviously, a few more have gone against the West Indies than we have. One for us (against Chase) appeared to show a gap between the bat and the ball, and it cost us 40-odd runs, but then a debatable one to get the wicket, he said.
As players, you may only pose one inquiry. We do not utilize the technology to make that choice. It sort of seemed, or looked, like the Snicko and the pictures were out of sync in some way, he said.
Starc also stated that Head's edge to Hope on the first day appeared out to them.
Sammy, aware of the regulations governing criticism of officials, disclosed that he had told his players not to speak publicly about their decisions following the game.
We understand the rules. We are aware that fines are issued across the board, he added, according to ESPNcricinfo.
I don't want them to concentrate on that. Yes, we're kind of shooting ourselves in the foot by dropping so many catches, but look at the Test match (us) against our own selves: some of these decisions, and we're still in a position to win, he said.
