West Indies captain Roston Chase launched a scathing tirade and doubled down on the criticism of umpiring decisions that went against them during the 159-run defeat against Australia in the opening Test. According to Chase, the “questionable calls” hampered his side and turned out to be a “big factor” in determining the outcome of the game.
After the conclusion of Day 2, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy expressed his concerns about the performance of TV umpire Adrian Holdstock during the first Test against Australia in Barbados, following a series of contentious review decisions. The primary source of the host’s anger stems from Chase’s lbw dismissal, which occurred despite a possible inside edge, and Shai Hope’s catch, deemed cleanly taken by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
At the beginning of the third day, the contest was evenly poised, with Australia tottering at 82 with six wickets in hand. However, in the end, the fixture ended in a comprehensive victory for the touring party. “This game is a frustrating one for me and for the team because we bowled out Australia for a relatively low score.
We were very happy with that. But then there were so many questionable calls in the game, and none of them went our way. I mean, as a player, you’re out there, you’re giving your all, you’re fighting. And then nothing is going your way,” Chase said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
“It could be heartbreaking. You see what set batters can do on the wicket. The wicket is one where once you get in, you can get runs, but the hardest part is to get in. Shai Hope and I were going well, and then, obviously, we had some questionable calls. That really set us back in terms of creating a big lead on the total that Australia set,” he added.
The West Indies Test captain called out for more accountability on the wrong decisions from the umpires and asked for a penalty to be placed for “blatant decisions”. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has an annual assessment in place, which could lead to potential changes in the Elite Panel. “It’s clear to see anyone would feel bad or feel hurt about those decisions. You’re out there playing to win, giving it your all, and it seems like everyone is against you.
It’s frustrating because, as players, when we mess up, when we get out of line, we’re penalised harshly. But the officials, nothing ever happens to them. They just have a wrong decision or questionable decision, and life just goes on,” Chase said. “You’re talking about guys’ careers. One bad decision could make or break a guy’s career.
I just think that it should be an even playground in terms of when players step out of line, they’re penalised. I think that there should be some penalty put in place when you have blatant decisions going against you. I think it was a big factor in the game because me and Hope were going well. We even had a catch that went against us in the first innings when we were bowling. So, you never know what the score could have been, but I don’t want to harp on it,” he added.
Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed that they won’t raise any issues about the umpiring and said, “We appeal (and) if we think it’s close, use DRS and leave the rest up to the umpires,” he said. “In some games, there’s a lot of 50-50 calls. Today we missed a few 50-50 calls that went against us. I think it’s cricket. I think it all balances itself out.”
