West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has voiced concerns about the level of umpiring by TV umpire Adrian Holdstock following a series of controversial decisions during the first Test against Australia in Barbados.
Sammy questioned whether Holdstock has “something against the team”, citing a pattern of calls that have gone against his side, not only in this match but dating back to the recent ODI series in England. “I have noticed, especially with this particular umpire, it's something that for me started in England. It's frustrating. I just ask for consistency in the decision-making.”
He continued: “You don’t want to get yourself in a situation where you’re wondering about certain umpires. Is there something against this team? But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question. I know he's here for the series. You don't want to go in a Test match having that doubt.”
Sammy met with match referee Javagal Srinath after the second day’s play, seeking answers over the TV umpiring standards in the ongoing Test. “We are just trying to find some sort of understanding as to what the process is,” he said. “We only hope for consistency. That's all we could ask for. When there is doubt about something, just be consistent across the board.”
Controversial decisions in the limelight during the West Indies-Australia Test
West Indies captain Roston Chase was at the centre of two controversial TV umpire decisions. In the first over of day two, Josh Hazlewood believed the ball struck the pad first, but Holdstock ruled there was insufficient evidence to overturn the on-field not-out decision. Later in the day, Chase was dismissed lbw by Pat Cummins, and this time Holdstock upheld the on-field call despite a thick deviation off the bat. The incident left commentator Ian Bishop furious.
Shai Hope was also ruled out caught behind off Beau Webster, despite replays appearing to show the ball brushing the grass while in Alex Carey’s gloves. The on-field umpires had referred the decision to the third umpire, who ruled it out.
Social media quickly erupted with side-by-side comparisons of a similar catch by Hope himself on the first day to dismiss Travis Head, a decision that was ruled not out by the same third umpire.
Sammy did not directly question the Carey catch but highlighted the inconsistency: “I'm just saying, judge what you see. If you see the same thing and one is not out, there is even more doubt on the other one than you give it out. Again, I don't know what he's seen, but from the images that we've seen, the decisions are not fair enough for both teams. We're all humans. Mistakes will be made. I just want fairness.”
Starc: “Snicko and images were out of sync”
Interestingly, Australia also found themselves puzzled by some decisions. Speaking after day two, pacer Mitchell Starc raised doubts over the DRS technology being used. “There's been some interesting ones. Obviously, a couple more have gone against the West Indies than us. One for us [against Chase] looked like there was a gap between the bat and the ball; it cost us 40-odd runs, but then a contentious one to then get the wicket.
“As players, you can only ask a question. We don't use the technology to make that decision. It sort of felt like, or looked like, that the snicko and the images were out of sync to some capacity.”
Starc also confirmed that the Australians believed Head had edged the ball to Hope on day one and that the dismissal should have stood.
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