Why do the umpiring errors always benefit Australia whether they are batting (Johnson at MCG) or bowling (Yuvraj and Kumble at MCG)?

The instances at the MCG are certainly not the first ones. It seems to happen every Australian season..

What a biased statement

Lee got a plum LBW against Harbijan later in the day that would have hit middle stump halfway up that Bowden knocked back.

Then unfortunately for the brave Harbijan he got a very big bruise where his heart is.

Yuvraj got a snick (the snicko proved that unequivocally because he chased a wide ball so no pad or ground as a defense) and will probably cop a fine for his dummy spit.

Kumble was a bit unfortunate.

Damn straight Acker.

India have no grounds for complaint. They missed out with Johnson, but the ledger was evened up with Harbijan

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I think regarding this match its swings and roundabouts but in the past (pre neutral umpires) the Aussies definatley got the majority of the decisions.

At times it seemed impossible to get an Aussie bat out LBW. I remember a few years back when Aus were playing the Windies (in Oz) and Micheal Holding was apoplectic because half of the WI team had been given out LBW (to dubious decisions) and one of the Aussies had survived about 3 or 4 good shouts. I dont think i have ever heard anyone more angry on commentary (although he did have a point).

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Mark.

What about Indian umpires in India? They would have had to have been the worst surely? In all honesty, English umpires were the only ones you could trust back in the pre-neutral umpire days.

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Laxman has been asked to attend a meeting with match referee Mike Proctor and some ICB officials after play tonite.

Someones match payment is about to get a haircut.

don't you mean Yuvraj Singh, since he hung around after being given out he's got a hearing tonight (he's been charged with dissent).

This is superiority complext at its best. There is plenty of cricketing literature highlighting the poor quality of English umpiring pre 1990s.

I am not refering only to this series... It is the same story every Australian summer regardless of of who is playing. If I am not mistaken, Bob Woolmer did raise this issue a few seasons back when he was in Australia with the Pakistan team as their coach....

This seems to be a tired old subject which is rolled out almost every series. Seems to me that cricket is a game played by fallible human beings under the control and observation of fallible human beings. Players and umpires make mistakes. That's life. We just need to get on with it.

Nothing will ever convince me that there are biased umpires operating at the top of the game - there's simply nothing in it for them, and any suggestion of bias is something which it is almost impossible to mount a credible defence to. Ask Darrell Hair - a man who, in my opinion, was doing a tough job well and to the best of his ability but who was dead in the water as soon as the suggestion of bias was raised.

So, if we rule out bias, we are left with fallibility and chance - which have been part of the game ever since the first ball was bowled. Sometimes they go for one team, sometimes for another. I don't believe over the long term any team has benefited in comparison to any other.

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