Out of form umpires? Who monitors them?

[anandbatra]

I know my post will probably start a debate here, but some of the umpiring decisions in the current India-SA test series have been shocking to say the least.

Let's start with Durban.

Mark Benson gave Prince and Gibbs not out in the first innings, when both of them were plumb in front. Both of them had just started their innings, and their wicket at that time would have been crucial. But, yes, mistakes do happen, and I won't blame the umpire too much for these 2 incidents.

In the Indian first innings, Mark Benson gave Dravid LBW. The ball was going way over the stumps. I wonder how he gave the earlier two not out and this one out. Again, not an issue. A mistake, probably.

In the Indian second innings, Asad Rauf thought he'd be a bit kind to the SA team. He gave Dravid caught behind, which was an appalling decision, and to top it, he gave Sachin out too, when he was clearly not out LBW.

What I am concerned about is the fact that Dravid suggested in the second innings that he did not hit it. I think all will agree that Dravid is an honest guy. I think the umpires should consider the situation, and the quality of the batsman, too. But, Asad Rauf gave him out based on the appealing of the SA players.

I wouldn't make much of an issue of the Sreesanth dismissal in the second innings, but the ball clearly hit the shoulder and looped up and was caught, and Rauf gave him out caught behind.

Let's move to Cape Town.

In the Indian first innings, Rauf gave Karthik out, when he never nicked it. It was so clear that Hashim Amla/Boucher tried to run Karthik out, as they knew he hadn't hit the ball. Wasn't that a clear enough sign for Rauf?

In the Indian second innings, Rauf gave Sachin out LBW again!!! And guess what, it wasn't out again! I mean it didn't just miss.. it was going way down the leg side. Sachin was given out and India will probably lose the match as a result.

Rauf didn't have enough. Dale Steyn got Sreesanth out off the last ball of the over and India were 9 down with a lead of 210. But, Asad thought another ball was left, and Steyn got Munaf out off the 7th ball, which left Karthik stranded on the other end. Karthik had made 38 and was batting beautifully, and could have added 15-20 more. This was when the scoreboard showed that the over had been bowled.

Truly appalling! Who monitors such crap umpires? On one hand good umpires like AV Jayaprakash aren't selected in the Elite panel, and on the other hand we have this crap umpiring?

I mean you would expect umpires to at least count the right number of balls!

 

[langerrox]

i dont think there is anything as 'out of form umpires' but more bias growing towards a team imo

 

[anandbatra]

i dont think there is anything as 'out of form umpires' but more bias growing towards a team imo

But bias as blatant as letting a guy bowl the 7th ball of the over to a no. 11 batsman at a very crucial stage?

Where was the match referee?

 

[andrew_nixon]

Seven ball overs and five ball overs happen all the time. Something similar (and probably worse) was in the Asia Cup ODI between Bangladesh and Hong Kong in 2004 when Mohammed Rafique took the last Hong Kong wicket with the second ball of his eleventh over.

 

[Adarsh]

That was Daryl Harper's fault. Rauf called over, but Harper told him there was one more ball left. He then conferred it to the third umpire and the official scorer and both agreed ! You can't forgive that.

But yeah, the umpiring in this series has been below par.

 

[andrew_nixon]

Umpires are monitored regularly by the ICC and can be replaced if their standards slip too often.

 

[Adarsh]

Call me harsh, but the umpiring in general hasn't been too good in the last couple of years. And it's not because there is more pressure on umpires now. TV cameras and replays have been here for a while. And it's not a case of teams putting more pressure on umpires either. Again, intense appealing has existed for a long time. I am being objective here, and I have no bias against umpires. However, umpiring standards are slipping. It shouldn't be so with ICC now hiring more umpires and trying to improve the training and tests for the umpires.

 

[sohum]

If the first post is accurate, that is some shoddy umpiring against India. I do believe there were a few bad decisions against the South Africans too, maybe Ashwell Prince? As with Asoka de Silva, it will take the ICC much too long to realize that umpires are out of form (and I do believe umpires have form) and they will be dropped after much damage will have been done.

 

[Adarsh]

Oh, I don't think the umpires are biased. I think they're plain inaccurate! SA got a couple against them as well. In the first innings I believe Gibbs did not nick the ball to short leg but was given, and Ntini edged it onto his pad but was also given LBW. A large percentage of the appeals when the umpire was involved was wrong.

 

[anandbatra]

Oh, I don't think the umpires are biased. I think they're plain inaccurate! SA got a couple against them as well. In the first innings I believe Gibbs did not nick the ball to short leg but was given, and Ntini edged it onto his pad but was also given LBW. A large percentage of the appeals when the umpire was involved was wrong.

Ntini and Sachin. Somehow I feel that the two batsmen aren't of the same class. It's a sneaky feeling, though. I may be wrong.

 

[Indyan]

The umpiring was dreadful in the last two tests. In the 2nd test it went totally against India. They gave bunch of Sa not out when they are out and gave Indians out when they weren't.
In this match, that sachin decision was ridiculous. In fact, the one he turned down earlier may have been out.
And that seven ball over is unforgivable. Someone needs to be punished. There is a big screen with details on the ground. I don't know if that showed the wrong info or that umpires miscounted. But someone screwed up badly.

 

[Adarsh]

I don't blame the players for appealing. They have every right to. How many times do you see Kumble (for example) appeal when the ball has clearly struck Smith outside off stump, or when it's pitched outside legstump. The final decision is up to the umpires. As for the 7th ball, that was shambolic. An international umpire, scorer and the third umpire not knowing to count to 6.

 

[Iron-Haggis]

As for the 7th ball, that was shambolic. An international umpire, scorer and the third umpire not knowing to count to 6.

Obviously you've never made a mistake in your life.

 

[Adarsh]

When you're in international cricket, and your JOB is THE SCORER, you have no excuse. I know everyone makes mistakes, but this is truly shocking.

This actually reminds me of Graham Poll and his 3 yellow cards!! Very similar. Except in that situation he was sent home, if my memory serves me right, and got the p*** taken out of him and rightly so.

 

[evertonfan]

It's a sniper's job to hit the target yet he doesn't hit it everytime Adarsh. Making mistakes is part of human life. If you don't mistakes at all then your not human.