David Warner has called for individual umpire statistics to be shown on the big screen during matches in a bid to improve the accountability of cricket’s on-field officials.
Key points:
David Warner was furious at being given out LBW for 11 against Sri Lanka, even if the ball was shown to be hitting leg stumpWarner says umpires statistics should be shown on the big screen at groundsAustralia play Pakistan on Friday in Lucknow
Australia has been the victim of multiple tight calls during the one-day World Cup in India, where reviews have been notably slower than in home matches.
Warner himself was at the centre of a tight decision against Sri Lanka on Monday, when he was given out LBW by Joel Wilson to a ball angling down leg.
Warner reviewed the decision but ball-tracking showed the Dilshan Madushanka delivery clipping leg stump, with the decision remaining out on umpire’s call.
“Players’ stats go up on the board as you walk out to bat,” Warner said.
“When they announce the umpires and they come up on screen, I’d love to see their stats come up on the board as well.
“Over the period of time, obviously players get dropped for poor performances. It’s never explained to us about how or what goes on with the (umpire)’s panel.
“[The stats on accuracy ratings] would just be an indicator.
“We check up there sometimes and go ‘oh, gee, I’m only averaging that now’. But it’s just little things that show the spectators.”
The 36-year-old compared the situation to that of the NRL, where referees are routinely dropped after poor decisions.
Warner said Wilson had told him he believed the ball was swinging back from Madushanka, something the opener said was not at all evident on replays.
“[Wilson] said the ball was swinging back so to his credit, if he thinks that then that’s why he’s given a decision.
“But then when you see the replay of how it unfolded you get a little bit annoyed, [but] that’s out of our control.
“I just sprayed out loud in frustration pretty much just [to] myself.”
Australia’s veteran opener also bemoaned the fact it was extremely difficult to overturn an LBW call for a batsman on ball-tracking, given the ball only needs to be clipping the stumps to have the decision stand.
Added to that is a frustration he believes some umpires are far more willing to give batsmen out than others.
“As a player you definitely know which umpires are going to keep those 50-50 ones when you’re hit on the pad,” Warner said.
“And that’s where, from my perspective, it gets frustrating.
“Because you know literally if you get hit on the pad it could be a close one unless it’s definitely not out.
“There’s no bias in anything. It’s just you feel like that as a player sometimes.”
After beating Sri Lanka by five wickets on Monday in Lucknow, Australia moved to Bengaluru for Friday’s crunch clash with Pakistan.
England and South Africa’s shock defeats to Afghanistan and Netherlands respectively have opened the tournament back up, allowing Australia to move back into contention after their two first-up losses to India and South Africa.
“I know at the back end we have Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the hard ones come in between that,” Warner said.
“And then you talk about net run-rate as well. There’s a few things that can be there at the end.
“But Pakistan is our next game and that’s what we’ll be throwing all our attention to.”
AAP/Reuters
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