Since when does anybody manipulate umpires?
It happens a lot. It's hard to ignore that there is a trend amongst umpires to give the benefit of doubt to the more 'successful' players. In that when it's a tight LBW or caught behind call, and it's a BD seamer bowling to Tendulkar or Ponting, the benefit of the doubt will go to the batsman. On the other hand, McGrath or Warne bowling to a BD lower order batsman (or even top order batsman) will get decisions going their way most of the time.
It's because we subconsciously believe that since the player in question is better, he is less likely to get out to/is more likely to have dismissed the other lesser player. If Tapash Baisya rapped Tendulkar on the pads first ball and there is some doubt over if it was bat or pad first, you're more inclined to believe it was bat first because it's Tendulkar against this unknown seamer from nowhere, the odds of him getting out first ball are highly unlikely. Same with a tail-ender facing a McGrath or Warne or Murali. You're thinking they're probably out, it's a legendary bowler and a rubbish batsman.
It's the same with pressurising umpires with loud appeals. When they hear the whole slip cordon, bat pad, bowler all scream for an edge you aren't quite sure you heard, you tend to believe that maybe there was something and you just missed it. And especially if they players appealing in question are Aussie or Indian, because if you give it not out and it was out, you'll have to take a lot of flak for it later. If they're Aussie players, they're going to be bitching about it to you, and if they're Indians, the media will crucify you. And even if you're right about there not being an edge, you don't want to risk being wrong because of all the ████ you'll have to take later, so you give it out.
Yes, at the Elite level such mistakes shouldn't be happening and Umpires must have more mental strength than that and shouldn't be biased. But just because it
shouldn't happen, doesn't mean that it won't happen.
And Australian players are quite bad at this, because people like Ponting whine and bitch about it to the umpires during the match, which is horrible sportsmanship. And can cause them to give decisions in their favour later on in the game.
Ponting should have been fined or punished for this because it is showing dissent to the umpires after a bad decision. Many other players have been fined for that same crime for doing less.
Although I think every country in the world tries to manipulate umpires with excessively loud appeals when there is any doubt, or not walking until the umpire makes his decision.
Absolutely! The hard part is finding much integrity to question.
