The recently concluded third Test of the India-England series not only showcased some spectacular cricketing moments but also stirred up controversies, especially surrounding England’s bazball approach and a few contentious decisions. Among them, the dismissal of Zak Crawley in the fourth innings took center stage, prompting English skipper Ben Stokes to demand the abolishment of the umpire’s call in the Decision Review System (DRS).
The controversial dismissal of Zak Crawley
Crawley’s dismissal in the fourth innings became a talking point after the on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena adjudged him out on an LBW call against Jasprit Bumrah. Despite the English opener opting for a review, the decision stayed with the umpire’s call, raising eyebrows as replays suggested the ball was missing the top of the leg stump. This controversial decision added fuel to the ongoing debates surrounding the effectiveness of the umpire’s call.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum approach match referee
Expressing dissatisfaction with Crawley’s dismissal, Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum, approached match referee Jeff Crowe for clarification after England’s 434-run defeat. This move came in the wake of Ollie Pope‘s similar fate in an earlier instance during the match, reigniting discussions about the efficacy of the umpire’s call.
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Stokes’ reveals the reason behind meeting match referee
In a post-match statement, Stokes expressed his disappointment with the umpire’s call and emphasized that the replay clearly showed the ball missing the stumps. He also disclosed the reason behind his and McCullum’s post-match meeting with the match referee, clarifying that they only sought insights from the Hawk-Eye technology providers. The all-rounder further added that their intent was not to blame the umpire’s call for the defeat but rather to understand the decision-making process.
Despite the controversial decisions, Stokes went on to make it clear that he is not attributing the team’s loss solely to the umpire’s calls. He acknowledged that a 500-run chase is a formidable task and emphasized the importance of focusing on performance rather than external factors.
“We just wanted some clarity around Zak’s DRS when the images came back. The ball is quite clearly missing the stump on the replay. So when it gets given umpire’s call and the ball’s not actually hitting the stumps, we were a bit bemused. So we just wanted some clarity from the Hawk-Eye guys,” revealed Stokes.
“It’s not me blaming that on what’s happened here, like I didn’t last week. It’s just… what’s going on? “We’ve been on the wrong end of three umpire’s calls this game and that is part of DRS. You’re either on the right side or the wrong side. Unfortunately, we’ve been on the wrong side. I’m not saying and never will say that’s the reason why we’ve lost this game, because 500 is a lot of runs,” he added
Stokes demands for umpire’s call abolishment
The English skipper did not stop here as while acknowledging the challenging nature of the umpire’s job, Stokes even went on to advocate the removal of ‘umpire’s call’ from the DRS. He highlighted the need for a level playing field and insisted that if the ball is hitting the stumps, it should be deemed out, and if not, the decision should be not out, eliminating the subjective ‘umpire’s call’ element. Stokes expressed his views with candor, stating that the aim is not to complain but to promote fairness and transparency in decision-making.
“You just want a level playing field. The umpires have an incredibly hard job as it is, especially in India when the ball is spinning. My personal opinion is if the ball is hitting the stumps, it is hitting the stumps. They should take away ‘umpire’s call’ if I’m being perfectly honest. I don’t want to get too much into it because it sounds like we are moaning and saying that is why we lost the Test match,” suggested the English captain.
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