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West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has raised serious concerns about the standard of TV umpiring during the first Test against Australia in Barbados, pointing to a series of controversial decisions made by third umpire Adrian Holdstock.
Speaking after day two, Sammy expressed frustration and hinted at a possible pattern of bias, referring not only to recent events in the ongoing match but also to calls made during the ODI series in England.
“I’ve noticed a trend, especially with this particular umpire. It started in England, and it’s frustrating. All we’re asking for is consistency in the decision-making,” Sammy said.
“You don’t want to get yourself in a situation where you’re wondering about certain umpires. Is there something against this team? But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question. I know he’s here for the series. You don’t want to go in a Test match having that doubt,” he added.
Following the close of play, Sammy met with match referee Javagal Srinath to seek clarification about the decision-making process.
“We are just trying to find some sort of understanding as to what the process is,” he said.
“We only hope for consistency. That’s all we could ask for. When there is doubt about something, just be consistent across the board,” he added.
Two controversial TV umpire calls involved West Indies captain Roston Chase. In the first over of the day, an lbw appeal by Josh Hazlewood was turned down due to lack of conclusive evidence. Later, Chase was given out lbw to Pat Cummins, even though replays appeared to show a clear inside edge — a decision that was upheld by Holdstock and criticized by former cricketer Ian Bishop on commentary.
Another moment of controversy came when Shai Hope was given out caught behind off Beau Webster. Replays suggested the ball might have touched the ground while in wicketkeeper Alex Carey’s gloves. Fans were quick to compare the decision with a similar incident on day one, when Travis Head’s dismissal — taken low by Hope — was ruled not out by the same umpire.
Although Sammy did not directly question the decision in Hope’s case, he once again stressed the importance of fairness in officiating.
“I’m just saying, judge what you see. If you see the same thing and one is not out, there is even more doubt on the other one than you give it out,” he said.
“Again, I don’t know what he’s seen, but from the images that we’ve seen, the decisions are not fair enough for both teams. We’re all humans. Mistakes will be made. I just want fairness,” he concluded.
The ongoing Test in Barbados remains tense, but Sammy’s strong comments have added another layer of scrutiny to the umpiring in the series.
