Quality of Umpiring

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Andy Mellon

Katich's wicket was a 3 or 4 inches outside the leg stump. Yes, Dar got it wrong, but he sees one view and has to make a decision.

The point made on the tv/radio was that the LBW should even have been a consideration: it's generally received wisdom that if a ball is bowled right arm over to a left handed batsman he can only be out LBW if the ball swings... and there was no indication that the ball in question would (the other ball shadn't been) or that it did (it didn't).

If the basic geometary of what was going on precluded the ball hitting in line and then hitting the stumps... then by definition the ball was either pitching outside of the line or missing..

Add in the fact that the ball also hit above the knee roll and was going over.... and I think you have a clear case of sufficient doubt: even if he though it was out... the umpire had an obligation to say "not out" on the grounds that it was not a delivery that he could be very sure about.

Quite different from the critical Martyn dismissal.. which is, I'm afraid, on case of just not paying attention: there was clear bat onto pad.. and the sound was clear. Umpires can slip up like that and I'm happy to take the bad calls with the good on that sort of thing - you just have to acknowledge that it was so unfortunate that it occurred with that player at that juncture.

So... mistakes are fine... but going with gut instinct when basic law of probabilities and height are both in favour of the batsmen is not.

[cantplaycantalk]

Don't forget Dar had just flown back in after being in Pakistan for the birth of his first child, I'm amazed he could see the batsmen never mind make a decision

On the other hand Bucknor made some excellent calls.

PS I would not be suprised if Dar were to fall out of the elite panel at the end of the year.

[TPL288]

What ever happen to the general rule that a batsman get the benefit of doubt in LBW decisions when the ball pitches outside the leg stump? That was the rule that I grew up hearing about from Richie & Co. in the 80s and 90s.

I think they should use the third umpire for LBW decisions and it would not be a sad day for cricket when technology is already used for run outs or when a ball crosses the boundary. The cricket game is evolving and so should the technology that is being used in cricket especially these days when bowlers like Brett Lee are bowling at 90+ mph. Furthermore the fielding team these days put a lot of pressure on umpires (whether Australia or England) in the middle then it used to be so umpires need all the help they can get.

[Moss]

If we're being pedantic, and dealing in what if's...

...if it wasn't for almost an entire days rain at Old Trafford, England would have sewn up the Ashes at 3 - 1 by now.

This umpire speculation is pointless insofar as the effect on the Ashes goes.

[Rob.]

Originally Posted by TPL288

What ever happen to the general rule that a batsman get the benefit of doubt in LBW decisions when the ball pitches outside the leg stump? That was the rule that I grew up hearing about from Richie & Co. in the 80s and 90s.

I think they should use the third umpire for LBW decisions and it would not be a sad day for cricket when technology is already used for run outs or when a ball crosses the boundary. The cricket game is evolving and so should the technology that is being used in cricket especially these days when bowlers like Brett Lee are bowling at 90+ mph. Furthermore the fielding team these days put a lot of pressure on umpires (whether Australia or England) in the middle then it used to be so umpires need all the help they can get.

It would be a sad day for cricket. The only extra technology I would condone is earpieces for the umpires with a feed from the stump mic so they can hear double noises on lbw decisions etc..

There are already enough breaks in play with sight screen adjustments, captain and bowler conferences etc.. that slow overates down without the umpire having to be on his walkie talkie every five minutes whilst the third umpire scans through video footage.

Technology wouldn't solve all problems anyway. It took Channel 4 1/2 and hour to process evidence Ricky Ponting got an inside edge on Friday evening. And snickometer evidence takes about 20 minutes to process. Hawk eye isn't that accurate either. Just let the umpires get on with it, they do a good enough job for me. You get the rough with the smooth from them, and their bad decisions develop more talking points, greater interest.

Leave the umps alone!

[Ernest]

I don't think that umpires have just stated making bad decissions now, it must have been happening for years, but the big screen and the TV replays have highlighted mistake, and theough the series, notjust one match, England have had their share of poor decissions.

Makes you think going back to the days of Dickie Bird, Umpires Crap and Fagg, would they have been so respected, had they had to face TV replays.

Umpires today, earn double their match fee the pressure they are under.

[greg]

Both countries are penalised by having the best umpires in the world.It was a shame we couldn't have used Taufel,Hair,Shepherd and Willey in this series as the standard of umpiring elsewhere is poor.

[Ninjaman]

The standard of umpiring outside England and Australia is poor??

You're a very funny man!!!

it's generally received wisdom that if a ball is bowled right arm over to a left handed batsman he can only be out LBW if the ball swings

I've had many a left handed batsman out LBW (plumb) bowling right arm over without a single hint of swing. So that generally received wisdom is incorrect

[Paoli]

I, like Dean Jones, am all in favour of LBW technology. Too many times has it been wrong this series. It just gives the umpire security on line ball decisions and even giving the "red" zone would provide an accurate indication.

Bucknor hasn't been good at all this series; perhaps he is past it. Bowden has been a little inconsistent, Alim Dar has been steady not spectacular but Rudi Koertzen was the only decent one.

The one they should hire is Kevan Barbour from Zimbabwe; the bloke never gets it wrong!

Agree with Ninjaman that you don't need swing to trap them bowling Right arm over to an LHB. If anything, swing would discourage the umpire from giving it out (unless it pitches outside off) as then there is a doubt as to it going down leg. If anything, the straighter it goes on, the more chance you have.

[Goatman]

Actually, I thought Billy Bowden was absolutely bloody awful! He was regularly giving wrong not outs, and gave some rubbish outs too. These things come in cycles though; the problem is that generally, the luck goes with the team on top so that you will usually find an imbalance in the poor decisions. Certainly, I have felt in the past that ENG were on the recieving end of some awful decisions when they were struggling, and those are the ones that tend to stick in the mind.

I feel genuinely sorry for Martyn; if he gets any more unlucky, he'll get an edge to Pietersen and the useless prick will actually manage to hold onto it!