Taufel's decisions are the talking point
There’s no doubt what the talking point is after the third day - the umpiring decisions by Simon Taufel that cut off Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly when comfortably on the way to their hundreds.
We should start by observing that Taufel is definitely one of the best umpires in the world, and he made some excellent decisions on the second day when there were close lbw appeals against India’s batsmen. But there’s no doubt that he got these two wrong.
Tendulkar’s lbw would have been swayed by the fact that he played no shot. Watching the replay at normal speed lends a little more sympathy to Taufel because Tendulkar made two movements as he was struck, moving more sideways than forward, and it all happens in the blink of an eye.
But the freeze frame is entirely different, showing that the ball would comfortably have missed the off stump, and Tendulkar’s show of dismay was understandable.
Ganguly’s reaction was more animated still. He appeared flabbergasted when he was given out caught behind down the leg side off James Anderson. No amount of technology has shown any contact between bat and ball – and again we are left wondering how such a competent umpire could have got it wrong.
The answer, of course, is that he is only human and I remember in an interview, asking Taufel his view of technology. Given that he is one of the youngest umpires on the circuit, I thought he might have been favourable, but he completely ruled it out, saying that he would rather be judged by his own decision-making, rather than slow the game down by referring everything to the third umpire.
At least the decisions did not affect India’s position unduly. They have the game absolutely by the scruff of the neck and, surely, given good weather they will probably take a lead in the series – possibly as early as tomorrow, although England’s openers have shown that they are prepared to make India work for their wickets.
England’s bowlers plugged away, with Tremlett and Panesar finally picking up reward for their hard graft – although Sidebottom was probably the more deserving.
Hello Aggers,
The umpiring was definitely shaky this time round when it usually wasn't like this. If you remember yesterday, Monty had two lbw appeals turned down when they were blatantly lbws. I can no longer remember when exactly that was but I'm sure you know which I was talking about. That was extremely painful for England and frankly, when England were deperate for wickets, we really didn't need that. The batting is going to have to be fantastic for us to survive this Test at all.
Complain about this postUmpiring sucks
Complain about this postTo be honest, the umpiring decisions in this test match have been awful. England had a lot of decisions turned down yesterday (mostly off the bowling off Monty) when clearly most of them were plumb lbw! To be fair to England they have bowled well in this match and the Indian batsmen have ridden their luck a lot through edges that have carried to the slip cordon and lbw shouts when clearly the lbw shouts should have been out looking from the hawkeye replays on tv. Also England where hard done by when they batted in their first innings, in the fact that the wickets that were lbw (Bell, Pietersen and Cook) were clearly going down the legside from my point of view when watching the replays on television. Bell's was going down legside, Pietersen's looked like an inside edge onto the pad, and Cook's was going down legside!
From England's second innings, its clear that batting has become easier on this pitch and will start to flatten out a bit more tomorrow, and I think the Indian seamers shouldn't post too many problems. England just need to bat well (especially Strauss!) all of tomorrow and most of day five if they are to save this match!
Complain about this posti'm sorry if i'm going to annoy you aggers after your pleas for calm in yesterdays analysis, but this is only my second time posting and I can't be judged as one of those ruining it.
I am dumbfounded at you honestly, neither KP nor Cook were out when they were adjudged lbw, tendulker and karthik were plumb lbw yesterday to Panesar, Sreesanth was plumb lbw to Panesar at Lords- blind man wudda given that out, yet here we are, reading analysis about how unlucky India have been. The same is tru in the Sky commentary box, there i feel they're all pampering to the Indian commentator and listeners trying not to upset them.
This is ridiculous, the game swings and roundabouts, today was England's day in terms of decisions, there have been more in Indias favour, so get over it!
Apart from the rant above, iIndia have played the better cricket and deserve the demanding position they find themselves in. Only a miracle will help us now, and that doesn't exist among this batting line up.
Complain about this postWhen you add to the list that Taufel got Dravid's lbw absolutely wrong in Lords, he has single handledly dismissed 3 out of the 4 galacticos in 3 innings. Way to go Taufel, only one more to go.
Complain about this postAnother entry where you fail to mention the 2 stone dead lbw decisions Panesar didn't get yesterday. India's lead might be considerably less and it is the Indians who have the luck so far in this test although they have also played better and deserve to be in a strong position.
Complain about this postAggers I thought you should've written about Anderson as well.... 1 for 130 odd at twice the run rate of the other pacers. He may not get a second innings to redeem himself.
Regarding the umpiring errors, I think they feel under tremendous pressure amidst the media scrutiny which seems to be about 27 times more intense than elsewhere in the world! And like I've written in an article on 606, I think Sky's version of Hawkeye must be banned from being shown on the grounds. Without Hawkeye, Taufel's verdict on Sachin might've well appeared quite okay.
Complain about this postFull credit to India for an excellent display today. However, much as England got a couple of lucky decisions I don't think that India can exactly bemoan their luck in this series after the last Test escape, and of course winning a vital toss.
But to not give India great credit today would be stupid. They fully deserve to be in the position they are.
Moreover England are now under great pressure. If England are the great side they want to be then they should escape this with a draw. Yes they are missing bowlers but this is pretty much England's top batting line up. Trescothick is history now.
Complain about this postGood article! Taufel not only got the decisions wrong but robbed the spectators of seeing two fo the greatest batsmen to ever grace the game a chance to put on spectacular centuries on what could be their last tour of this country.
In a way, they both marked their scene onto the international stage in England and it would have been great to see Tendulkar and Ganguly repeat that fete here today. This is one of the reasons we watch this game-to see great players play in full flow.
I hope we see it again this tour. To watch them play is absolutely enthralling-let's see if the England batsmen can match half of what these two guys have achived in the game.
Complain about this postWell, it is all in the game. You get some going for you and some against. But, India were a bit slow I thought, in their approach, especially after those two decisions.
Complain about this postUmpires make mistakes like anyone else. On the whole they get their decisions right most of the time. That's cricket and the umpire's word is final.
I find it quite distasteful to criticize umpires this way. am far more concerned about sledging by playes. The Aussies started it and now everyone is doing it. That is something, umpires need to be really strict about. One sledge and you leave the field (no replacements allowed!)
Complain about this postAlthough I earn my living from technology, I am not for it in the game of cricket. My father once told me that it is hockey by practice, cricket by chance, football by stamina and TT by dance. It is by chance, a batsman gets dropped by a fielder, a bowler takes a wicket from a bad ball, and an umpire makes a mistake in giving someone out. And it takes only a blink of an eye for it to happen. Technolgy then makes it look really bad. So lets leave the technolgy out of cricket and enjoy for what the game was invented for. And another thing, I would like to see Tendulkar & co facing Harmison and Flintoff without the protective gear just like Gavaskar and Boycott faced Lillee, Thomson and West Indian fast bowlers and score the number of runs that they did. To me, that's the real Test between a batsman and a bowler.
Complain about this postHow about some comment from English fans on how lucky the Indian batsman have been - Dravid in the first innings and Tendulkar/Ganguly in the second ?
Complain about this postFor both teams, in this test match and the previous one, Simon Taufel, has taken the most horrendous decisions. And he is a fine chinwagger too - remember how he blew up each one of his colleagues soon after his decoration as the ICC best umpire and despite being the Umpires Association's spokesperson? Outrageous to say the least, and something needs to be done about him by those who have appointed him. He has been bad for both teams and diminished his own stature. Meanwhile, the game must move on for us.
By the end of the Indian innings, one felt it had panned out beautifully from an Indian perspective. They did need the pressure of a 300+ lead, or thereabouts, plus, ample time to bring that into effect. India was within a pocketful of runs of its first, and a little more of the other, fortuiously, just an hour before close of play.
But did Dravid contend with Sreesanth? The man who was to matter because of his additional pace besides Kumble, who anyway might have been neutralized slightly due to the non-crumbling pitch of this season unlike the previous one? I guess not.
Sreesanth, who has been having the sputtering-est lemon of a series, handed a large chunk of the psychological advantage right back to England, primarily to Andrew Staruss, who needs all help he can get to fastrack his return to stability.
This is where Dravid missed a trick...in trying to play his bowler into rhythm for tomorrow by bowling him on, he handed the advantage today to England when he could have easily used his other options without any disadvantage, and dragged Sreesanth's ,and the bowling coach, to the nets after the day's play for a rigorous stint of bowling.
I hope the bowling coach, Venkatesh Prasad, wasn't trying to teach him his own trademark, back-of-the-hand slower ball variety that he used so naturally and effectively while in active play. Knowing Sreesanth's problem of quickly losing his rhythm, and his significance to the team, it may be best to defer anything new with him for at least a couple of years.
Maybe tomorrow he'll make me eat my words - I'll be the gladdest.
Complain about this postWell, it is all in the game. You get some going for you and some against. But, India were a bit slow I thought, in their approach, especially after those two decisions.
Complain about this postIt's all uphill for England now but full credit must go to India - they've had the better of conditions in this match and have cashed in big time.
As regards the umpiring both Tendulkar and Ganguly were unlucky today but these things generally even themselves out over the course of a series (moreso over a 5 match series which I wish this was).
About time we had a little rain - don't you think fellow England fans .....
Complain about this postOf course these decisions will be mulled over but really i see little point. Eng fans could easily point to the not out decision when Panesar trapped Sreesanth LBW when India were 9 down in the second innings at Lords which really did make a difference.
The good thing here is that, personal milestones aside, India are in an incredibly strong position and the 2 decisions have not had any impact on the game at all - surely India would have looked to declare this evening with a 300 run lead anyhow to bowl at least 10 overs at the Eng openers.
I think conditions this match have certainly favoured India (the best bowling conditions were on day 1) and I hope - permitting the weather is good again tomorrow - Eng illustrate this fact by batting well tomorrow. Eng have had it easy this summer, can the batsmen deliver the goods under pressure and can anyone replicate one of the great Atherton / Gooch marathon innings.
Great day ahead of us tomorrow and great to see India fighting back. Im just hoping one of our batsmen can getting a gritty century that the rest of the team can bat around.
Complain about this postWhen there is light error one can understand, but when there is gross error, it's hard to understand. Why cannot the umprire refer to 3rd umprire, I think all not too clear lbw decisions should be refrered to 3rd umpire. If it slows the game a little bit, then let it be that way.
Complain about this postI have to give some sympathy to Taufel. He is a good umpire and umpires in an age when umpiring decisions are way to ovewr analysed. We almost seem to firget that professional sport is at essence a game. So what if people make mistakes? The human element is what makes sport fun and interesting. As long as people are being genuine and making decisions as they seem them I don't have a problem.
Complain about this posthello AGGER my friend
Very good column
He made mistake but he is a human after all
and i think both ganguly and tendulkar wont mind since India are in great position
well played India
i think they will win by 5th day morning
commanding position 240 runs ahead
I think england bowling weakness were there
tremelet very young
Anderson still not permanent
sidebottom making come back
panesar working hard
Tendulkar n ganguly really applied themselves well...the first session was the trademark of the day
England fight well but the end ....but they will lose that for sure
INDIA now are on top with the series in sight
and they can create history
in the end these decision are all against India i believe umpires are keeping england in the game and keeping soft to them
Complain about this postLets see it both ways! Tendulkar should use his bat you are always taking a risk using the pad!To be fair there has to be doubt about these decisions but don't forget the ones India got away with not least when Monty had a lbw turned down by Mr Howell that would have removed the middle stump, a decision that was worthy of far more criticism. However, as they always say they even themselves out in the end!
Complain about this postAh Swamy, Anderson didn't bowl great. It happens. As a swing bowler, he's going to go for a few more runs than someone who doesn't pitch it up like Tremlett. He didn't bowl great, looked frustrated yesterday and men like Dravid and the Little Master don't often get out to average bowling.
Umpires get it in the neck. It annoys me in football when a manger will use his post-match interview to slate a referee for one decision and spend little time talking about his team. I find it equally annoying to see articles doing the same to cricket umpires. Two-thirds of this article is about Simon Taufel. A good decision will barely get a mention but a wrong one gets the red carpet treatment. if players are encouraged to not put the umpires under pressure with incessant appeals, I suggest the cricket writers, many of them ex-players at a variety of levels, follow suit. I have never been someone who has wanted technology to replace an umpire. It is sensible for use on stumpings, run-outs and disputed catches, and I'd also use it for detecting no-balls and thus allowing the umpire to focus fully on the ball and the batsman. I wouldn't use it for LBWs and judging nicks behind. The humanity of the sport must be kept without resorting to computer and video camera jury.
Complain about this postWhile I have sympathy for Taufel's view that he doesn't want to send all decisions 'upstairs', surely it would be useful to have a beep in their earpiece to tell them if Hawkeye calculates that the ball was going to hit the wicket. It wouldn't slow things down and they can make their own decision, but it would introduce an absolute consistency in that regard without undermining the authority of the umpire in any way at all...
Complain about this postGood report. You are quite right to point out the nsither Tendulkar's nor Ganguly's decision are very likely to affect the result of this match, irritating though they may be to the individuals concerned. I think there are two other thoughts that may be worth considering here:-
First, that in LBW decisions, the HawkEye representation seen on TV, as I understand it, shows the MOST LIKELY path that the ball would have followed after hitting the pad. The RANGE of possible paths, and the degrees of confidence with which each can be held, depends on how far the ball has travelled from where it pitched to where it hit the pad, and the further this distance, the narrower the range of possible predicted paths. So a near half-volley hitting the pad has quite a wide range of possibilities, and though the most likely path may hit the stumps, it's quite possible that the greater overall probability is that it would have missed.
Second, that the umpires' job is made much more difficult by the modern practice of bowlers/fielders appealing even when they know the decision should be not out. I haven't yet been able to see the Ganguly decision, but from what I've read it would seem that there was no contact of anything with anything, so the keeper and close catchers, at least, would have been fully aware that it wasn't a catch, even if the bowler was unsighted. It's not very long ago that appealing in the hope that the umpire will make a mistake in your favour was something that was much disapproved of anywhere in the game.
I thought that in the circumstances, Strauss and Cook did very well to survive the 16 overs. 5 sessions to go!
Complain about this postI just pray and hope that somebody like Cook and Struass can put on a 150 plus partnership.
They have the ability...do they have the concentration to focus and battle to save us the match?
A bit of rain will help too...
Complain about this postGood batting by India. Simon Tauffel had relatively a bad day and should go back and examine his performance in the pavillion. Its understandable that the explanation always holds water that these things happen in the wink of an eye but its the job of the umpire to be ready for these kind of situations as he is payed to stand and observe and needs a better
Complain about this postmind-eye coordination and concentration. There is nothing wrong in calling the third umpire if he has a doubt rather than honing his skills at the expense of unfortunate batsman.
Laxman played a uncharestically languid knock. Its not only the runs matter here.India should have accelrated a bit more and the urgency was lacking a bit.
Been a bit of a shocking series for umpires so far, certainly the talking point - Howell needs to sit down at the end of this match and look at the decisions and non decisions he gave. Taufel made one poor lbw decision and gave the caught behind on the flimsiest of evidence. Heck, this game got me calling for Bucknor to return - but he wasnt immune after his decision on Sreesanth on the last afternoon at Lords
Umpires will always make poor decisions as they are human, but I am a believer in things evening out in the long run. The only extra use of technology I would be in favour of would be the calling of no balls.
On a final note - would a young Tendulkar have played that shot against a bowler like Collingwood? If he had used the bat he would take away the decision from the ump - whatever technology showed it was too close to be leaving the ball. Maybe umpires arent so impressed by reputations when reputations are on the wane?
Complain about this postNo question, Taufel has been damaged by that KP reversal........
Complain about this postGiving top-two batsman of a side out wrongly can be a difference between winning and losing a Test.
For whatever the arguments in favor of "Umpires being human" and so on, i am clearly not in favor of any team having to lose or win a match because of umpiring blunders.
I am with England fans who think that India shouldn't have gotten all the LBW decisions in their favor yesterday. And also with those who think India shouldn't have been at the receiving end of rank bad decisions today. Two wrongs don't a right make.
Simon Taufel ended up advocating a strong case for use of technology.
Complain about this postDear Aggers
Complain about this postI strongly beleive that if technology is there, it should be used. Particularly decisions of LBWs and catches in 90s for any batsman. In Tendulkar's case he missed out on a well deserved 38th test century.
Should we allow umpiring errors to spoil the cricket?
Would the trial of county cricket be extended to international matches? Time to move forward..
The most disapointing thing is how the umpires authority is being underminded espicially by the media analysis. Get rid of hawkeye. Those players showing dissent should be fined. As should Kevin Pietersen and I am one of his biggesr fans but if an umpire has to speak to your captain about your behaviour you overstepped the mark.These so called poor decisions even out in the course of the game amnd its time for all the armchair experts to stop whinning.
Complain about this postWhy is it that the talking point today is two bad decisions that went against India, while yesterday there were two decisions, at least equally bad, that went against England and that was just a minor point. Typical of the English media, (Sky, C5 and here the BBC) to make a much bigger fuss of these errors than they did yesterday.
Complain about this postNice article,Jonathon.It appears Simon Taufil's mistakes affected both sides equally.I wont consider him as one of the best umpires,if he commits so many mistakes.I hope,some authority is monitoring his decisions.Just like players,if they dont perform upto the standard,they are dropped.Same fate should await Simon.He should be dropped from the next Test match.Then only,he will be more careful in lifting his finger to declare some one OUT.
Complain about this postSimon Taufel must have taken bit more time or discussed with the leg umpire if he is not sure instead of making CRAP decision and umpiring is a responsible position. This puts him under a magnifying glass for his future...
Simon Taufel has indeed stopped Sachin and Sourav from reaching 100. It is not good to hinder someone's career and efforts...
Simon Taufel must realise that umpiring is a very responsible job and decisions like this would only cause him more problems...
Complain about this postWhy so negative jonathon england can still save this game if strauss and cook bat the 1st session like they ended the day. If the sun shines like they say we can maybe get 200 ahead as long as we bat like india, with 2 sessions left u never know?
Complain about this postTaufel had a bad day and these things happen.
Hats off to Ganguly who handled the first hour very well. Dhoni has a long way to go before being considered as a reliable bat.
I think Sidebottom bowled extremely well with little luck.
The pitch appears benign. If 1-2-3 put on decent runs and 4 goes beserk over one session(as he unpredictably can)......... hmm
Complain about this postAs an Indian supporter i was disappointed by those decisions,especially as they were made by the best guy in this business. But then again this is one of the charms of this game and we should not forget that lbw decision which went in favour of india on the last day of the lords test.
For those who are crazy about stats, is this one of the highest team totals without an individual century??
Complain about this postThe decisions by Simon Taufel were wrong, but umpiring is a tough business and he is a good umpire who got it wrong on a couple of occaions today.
Perhaps the ICC could consider a limited number of appeals against really questionable decisions- like it has been happening at Wimbledon and the use of Hawkeye.
Tendulkar was shown on television looking fairly relaxed after the decision. Taufel's decision might have affected the personal records of Ganguli and Tendulkar, but in the bigger scheme of things, the course of the match wasn't changed, and India did not lose their momentum, so the mistakes are trivial, really.
I am looking forward to seeing the battle at Trent Bridge tomorrow.
Complain about this postUmpires really are only human so whether or not India had the luck yesterday and England today does not matter. What matters is that when given the opportunity,India have played some outstanding cricket. I love england, i was born and bred here, and as such am equally passionate about England as I am about India. But i must say that fans of English sporting teams are the worst whingers of all and always need to find and excuse for their mediocrity.Let me give you a clue, WE ARE RUBBISH AT SPORT,time to admit that and start creating an environment where we have a winning mentality rather than a moaning one!!
Complain about this postSoulberry,
You are here writing in your usual balanced and sensible fashion and I was searching for you on 606. This is your old pal.
Kudos to Agnew for being fair, in sharp contrast to the whimpering of English supporters.
Well said, Aggers.
Complain about this postUnfortunate... But as many have observed here, these things even out. I just hope that there is no more luck added into the mix in this test and everything is decided by skill. And I still like Simon Taufel, even though he is an Aussie.
Complain about this postWhy is it every series involving england or india or both turns into a sook fest over the umpires?
Sore losers on both sides.
Complain about this postJust saw the highlights on 5. At the end of it they asked Ganguly about the dismissals and he just said that these things happen sometimes in cricket and you should not dwell on it too long.
I thought that was the right attitude. Even Vaughan said the same a few days ago. There is some good cricket on show and all the viewers should stop slating the umpiring. Taufel is a good umpire having a bad day. Also things like hawkeye is not 100 percent perfect and should not be used to show borderline errors made by umpires. Lets just enjoy the cricket. I really felt cricket is more enjoyable without this so called technology.
Complain about this postSo the best umpire in the world had an off-day, or maybe two. As everyone observes, these things even themselves out, and it is important to cricket that the umpire's verdict be respected.
I was disappointed solely because, even as an England fan, I was so enjoying watching Tendulkar and Ganguly bat!
Complain about this postWhy must the umpire be responsible for every little thing by himself??
Complain about this postI personally think it is the action of watching for no-balls that causes umpires many problems. think about it... the umpire must look at the ground near his feet until the bowler has delivered the ball, which when a fast bowler is bowling, gives him .5 of a second to look up, focus and take in all that is going on: did it pitch in line? how far up the pitch? outside leg? etc etc. this has got to be very hard to do and it is no wonder it leads to errors of judgment. Simply take the duty of calling no-balls away from the umpire, it is a straightforward, black or white, task that could easily be performed by a machine.
The machine could be easily attached to a loud speaker (or something, u get my drift)which would sound if it was a no-ball was bowled, letting the batsman know he can cut loose!
Basically this would mean that the umpire would have a still head and be giving the path of the ball his undivided attention at all times, hopefully leading to less human error.
Funny reading all the complaints about umpiring decisions against England. One wonders, is it because England is losing? Where were your voices when so many decisions went against the West Indies team just a couple of weeks ago.
Complain about this postPS praa ji,
I was very much there at the 606 today. I quit it when it was obvious that my prediction of 40-0 would be met for the day. It is quite late after all here.
I was interacting with the nice people at 606 boards since before the match began. Tomorrow, unfortunately is a working day and I missed you.
By the way, I guessed PS was Jaswant Singh.
Good match set up tomorrow and it's all India's to try for. They will have to work doubly hard however.
One another thing, Simon Taufel's decisions today may not have affected India much...other than maybe 50-60 runs more. A declaration may have come if India were not all out then anyway. The scoring rate was such that even after their hundreds, it might have gone up by only a bit.
Complain about this postIt is just not Cricket. This test match should be best forgotten but might become a memorable one for the Indians as it might win a series for them in England after decades.
Complain about this postI agree with Aggers that the decisions given by Taufel today were wrong but 95% of the time he is absolutely right. He has one sight of it and whatever Hawkeye might suggest only the umpire has a true sight of the direction and height of the ball.
Yesterday India had the luck when two clear lbw decisions went their way. It's swings and roundabouts and human judgement is at the heart of the game whether it be a batsman's decision to play or leave a ball or an umpiring decision.
Be fair to umpires, especially Taufel, who has changed the dynamic in cricket by being prepared to give an lbw decision when a batsman is hiding his bat behind his pad or seeks to just stick his leg down the pitch and let the ball hit the pad.
A batsman has a bat in his hand and when I was learning to play the game my coach said you should use it as it was the only way to score runs.
Complain about this postThe umpiring also lacked precision in the last Test - Dravid was very unlucky, and Panesar should have had a plumb lbw in the penultimate over before the close. But usually one hopes in a Test that the luck will rub both ways, and here there were clear lbw chances for Panesar yesterday. I just hope that they don't know have it in their minds to give the bowlers the benefit of the doubt tomorrow.
England's batsmen have the chance to redeem themselves tomorrow, after three consecutive disappointing performances. I think they will need 500+ to save the match, which equates to three big innings from somewhere, and no collapses. Collingwood, Bell and Strauss now need to show their worth and demonstrate that this team is actually capable of batting out the day against superior opposition.
Complain about this postMohmed Rahman,
I pray that I am wrong.
But I wonder if there is a pattern to what you say.
I do recall three front foot LBWs against the WI in one innings and now three successive LBWs against Tendulkar, at least two totally wrong.
And the English fans then relapse into sphinx like silence. But let one doubtful decision go against them, you will hear a noise that you would expect on an Indian train station platform.
There is something not right.
Complain about this postOh - I made a comment that I believe Australian empires have been very biased against indian and other south asian countries. I think and honestly believe this will continue. \tomorrow his decisions will favour unjustifibly England. This is the normal pattern!
Complain about this postLet's face it - there were questionable calls on both sides of the court. Will they impact the outcome of the game? Absolutely not. Weather in the 1st Test match and Indian complacent batting pace are the reasons. Indians are a very laid back nation. They should have start hammering right after lunch, but they didn't.
I'm shocked they won the 1983 World Series. They just don't have the fight and talent like Kapil Dev. He just wanted to win - a very Aussie approach. Australia is still the side to reckon with in Test and ODI's. All nations should look and learn from the Aussies and their training/selection/etc. Let's keep the umpires out of this and let the players determine the outcome.
I believe that England will pull out a draw - sorry Dad-in-law - because the batting conditions have changed drastically. Taufel means well, is good, and should be left alone. Who would England rather have - Hair?????
Complain about this postWell, whether it is Indian wickets or England wickets, "Mr Best umpire in the world" for the last three years did not show any signs of that class! May be he should go back to umpiring school again or learn from small child to learn to find out where the off stump is! It is human to err. So please come to down to real ground and start using the third umpire. I wonder whether there is some way of reporting this kind of umpires. Is his award for the umpiring will be recalled? I cannot see how he should be allowed to continue as ICC umpire.
Complain about this postTaufel hands a couple of toffees and tosses out Tendulkar and Ganguly!!! I am not much for technology but when an umpire does something like that you wonder if technology is not the way to go. I know that the umpire has only one chance at it and it all happens very quickly. But the benefit of the doubt always goes to the batsmen. That is the rule and for that reason alone a controversial decision should be referred to Hawkeye.
By the by, one cannot undo bad umpiring decisions by making more of them. If Taufel got two wrong yesterday, it does not mean that he can make it right for England by making two more mistakes. The batsmen who got decisions in their favour yesterday were already out. Why should Tendulkar and Ganguly pay the price for that? He might be one of the best but in this innings he has already made four mistakes. That is way too many
Complain about this postIt is obvious that Umpires get mesmerised by appeals, some more than others. However, the fact that two of the worlds premier batsmen are given out for very basic Umpiring error leaves the game open to question. Whilst the commentators tend to favour their nationals, it makes one wonder what it is that drives balanced officials into schoolboy error (perhaps unfair to schoolboys).
Until there is an appeals system introduced against Umpiring decisions it is cricket to just walk with a smile and a shake of the head as if to say I should not have done that.
Use of technology is excellent as long as it is factual. In or out of the crease is factual. Trajectory of the ball is not factual. It is assumptive and calculated.
Superimposed aids to view actual trajectory and position of impact with infrared are factual and in my view acceptable.
Cricket was the anthem of sporting and gentlemanly conduct. It is deviating in leaps and bounds.
Complain about this postHey Aggers
Poor decisions by the Umpire.
Complain about this postPoor decisions by the England Captain.
Poor decisions by the Selectors.
Poor decisions by the entire England Squad.
England are just POOR.
Full marks for attempting to deflect any criticism of the England Squad by maligning the decisions of an umpire.
Why do we always assume that "England" heve been badly done to?
We are oh so very poor
Ian
Hello
Complain about this post(This is sent in response to the question: How has the weather effected your cricketing summer)
My name is Paul Blackthorne, I am an actor living in Los Angeles, I portrayed the character Captain Russell in the Indian film 'Lagaan'.
My sympathies go out to all cricket - village or test - effected by the adverse weather conditions in the UK this summer.
However here in California we are experiencing the opposite problem - the rain levels are extremely low and the water authorities would no doubt love some English rain......
However, such conditions have enabled a consistent run of play in the various cricket leagues here In Los Angeles:
A very respectable standard can be seen in the Southern Californian Cricket League - League's one and two, and a decidedly lower standard can be witnessed in the 'social' league - of which I am a proud and hapless participant.
However last sunday the Beverly Hills and Hollywood cricket club (for which i play) recorded our first win of the season. a nine run nailbiting victory over 'Corinthians'.
Much fun had by all.
The league is largely made up of the nationalities of the former empire or commonwealth countries, though i have spotted three Americans partaking this season - maybe the next world cup......
Thank you to the tms team and the live text dept for all the marvelous coverage.
Here's to some Californian sunshine for you and some English rain for us.
Taufal must be grateful to God as he is not among the Pakistani or Indian umpires. Otherwise, the level of criticism from all over the cricket world would have been a lot different than the present one. But, the critics should always keep in mind that umpires are human beings and they have to give decision based on that particular moment (without confirming through any of the latest technologies). If a batsman gets a favourable decision, he is lucky and the umpire is never criticised but if batsman is given out wrongly, everybody starts blaming umpiring. I believe every umpire tries his level best (the level of judgement can not be the same) to maintain the spirit of the game and everyone including players should respect them unconditionally.
Complain about this postI think it is high time we bring technology and third umpire concept into the test cricket. Lbw decisions are sometime crucial to the match result. A limited number of appeals by the "wronged" team may take a few minutes extra, but definitely worthwhile. It worked in Wimbledon, and I do not see why it can not work here.
Complain about this postIt appears that we are all in agreement on a few points:
1) There have been some bad decisions on both sides.
2) Umpires are human so its okay, and the decisions didn't affect the match.
The real question is why we are still talking about umpiring.
Kudos to the Indian batsmen. I didn't think they had it in them. Oh, and Congratulations to Tendulkar for an innings well batted.
Complain about this postSorry to sound like a bitter b%$£rd but Howell could have given quite a few LBWs - there were at least three shouts hawkeye suggested were incorrect and the batsman stayed in.
Complain about this postCiderguzzler is spot on. The only thing I would add, though is "beyond reasonable doubt". The decisions were obviously made because there was no doubt in Taufel's mind - or so one must assume.
Technology is inevitably sounder than human analysis, but it is not perfect. That said, in a hundred years time, I doubt that any decisions in any sport will be taken without the benefit of technology.
Complain about this postWhat a day's cricket! Where in the previous series against the West Indies the best thing to watch was the umpiring decisions, the play today was of the highest order and the impiring decisions terrible. England bowled very well indeed, however the Indians played quite beautifully and deserve to be in the position there are in now. I just hope England can bat out of their skins and make it go to a last session dash for the Indians!
Complain about this postI think the main thing to remember is that we are human, there is a split second to make a decision, and us people watching the TV and watching the hawkeye replays it becomes very easy for us to complain and curse. The controversial decisions come with playing the game of cricket. All the players know that, and the glove may be on the other hand in another test.
Complain about this postI just wonder what would have happened if Tendulkar had followed Pieterson's example and gone back to the crease to challenge the decision. I wonder if the result would have been the same.
Complain about this postThose of us watching at home are often annoyed at the umpiring decisions and this match is no exception Despite the errors made by the umpires when giving Ganguly and Tendulkar out England have suffered more than India from the errors in this match. Ganguly in particular should not feel too aggrieved having benifited again from an error early in the day to add to one yesterday. Odd then that Agnew says the errors by Taufel in giving them out will be the main talking point. It shouldn't be and he should not try to make it so. Why on earth should they be considered worse than the other errors?
Complain about this postUmpires have a difficult job and we should judge them by how few decisions they get wrong - both out and not out - over many matches. In time as technology improves and speeds up more and more decisions can and should be taken out of their hands.
Hi Jonathan,
I am of the opinion that however good an umpire may be (s)he's likely to get a couple wrong every now and then. It's only human right? Hmmm...but wait this is not your average 'back yard' Cricket match. The 3rd day at in during the 2nd Test at Trent Bridge will be one that umpire Simon Taufel will never forget, for quite obvious reasons.
We have just witnessed (one of) the best in the trade raising his finger on two occasions on Sunday and the more one looks at the replays the more one is convinced that both should have created (enough) doubts in the umpire's mind as to whether the batsman could be out. Regarding the Tendulkar case I shouted out that the ball would be missing an imaginary 2nd off stump only to be dumb-founded when the umpire raised the dreaded finger that denied the little master the 3 figure milestone.
The second decision involved the other set batsman, Ganguly, who was given caught behind. My first Q was: Based on what? No noise, no proof of the ball touching either BAT or BODY...so what could possibly have been going through Taufel's mind? Any one care to elaborate on that? I'm all ears...
In believe that in this day and age, the game should make use of technology. Why not agree to use the 3rd umpire in the event that the team that is on the receiving end of decisions that look wrong. Why not use the agree to give each team say a total of 3 (or 5) lives - so to speak. Each tine the team think they have been hard done, they can overrule the umpire's decision (or rather ask him to refer it to the 3rd umpire). If their argument is upheld, they still have 3 lives.
This way Cricket wins and we will not have too many stoppages as the teams will use their (get out of jail free cards sparingly.
Wonder what your and others' views are with regard to this...
Complain about this post|Good article from Aggers, but I do want to ask about the portrayal of this series in the general. Today was a brilliant day for India, yet the channel 5 highlights were mostly play and misses! even in the BBC Gallery, out of 13 pictures of the Indian Innings, only 5 were shots of the batsmen making runs. I know people strive for fairness and that most people who watch or read the cricket are England supporters, but things can, and should be a little bit more accomodating.
The Umpiring in this series is approaching England - Sri Lanka 2000. Taufel and Howell are good umpires, but here their reputations are taking a beating, especially the usually good Taufel. Three or four bad dismissals an innings isnt good enough, it makes the likes of Bucknor and Hair look good. That said, Ganguly said that you take what you get, which is right, and no amount of whinging now will change what happened.
Complain about this postIndia are going to take a deserved win from this test.
Complain about this postThe game was won at the toss, but this should never be held against a side that hammers home this advantage.
For me this day's play was tarnished by the reaction on Ganguly's face when Taufel raised his finger, like he was the first Cricketer to ever be on the end of a wrong decision. HOW DARE HE!!
If it was someone with the same level of experience of say Sreesanth, then you could understand, but this is a player who knows first hand the way this games works, not to mention the fact that his every move was being watched by a billion loyal fans!
SHAME ON HIM!!
I think the time has come when the 3rd Umpire decision is of utmost importance in lbw, run outs and caught behind the wicket occasions.
Will somebody take some action?
Complain about this postEnough about the umpiring. Since I was rooting for India, I was irritated by the decision while watching the game, however, I have little sympathy for Tendulkar or Ganguly. It is safe to say that neither would have walked had they known they were out and were incorrectly given in. In fact, I have seen them stand their ground while they have known that they were out.
Rather than discuss umpiring decisions, let's discuss how to referee the game better. No one wants the game to be decided by umpires, and to the extent possible, play on the field should determine the outcome.
I live in the US and have seen that over time, following initial resistance like we see in cricket, the governing bodies of different sports here have decided to use technology to a limited extent to reduce the umpiring error from over-influencing the outcome.
What I'd like to see is each team given a chance to challenge 2 decisions per inning. The ruling on the challenge should then reside with the umpire on the field in consultation with the third umpire. If the team making the challenge is found to be at fault, it should be docked 25 runs. If the team making a challenge is found to be correct, it should preserve its challenges. This way, the umpire on the field is still allowed to run the game, and third umpire gets to earn his living as well as well.
I sure hope India gets it done tommorrow. If England pass India's lead , I hope they don't get any more than 150 ahead. If England can mange that and bat into the second session on the fifth day, it can make for some intersting viewing on the final day.
Complain about this postIt is easy to be charitable to a bungling umpire,while using a word processer,
Complain about this postthe fact remains, India's two senior batsmen were deprived of opportunity to score tons during their last tour of England .It was a terrible SHAME and let us not lose our perspective.
The modern technology is utilized in many sports and evevn in England at wimbledon!
Aggers, great column again. Simon Taufel is human and prone to mistakes like everyone else. In the broad scheme of things, those 2 decisions aren't going to affect India's path to victory. I'd like to say if we're criticising the umpires all the time for making the wrong decision, why can't we say the same when Monty makes 1 billion appeals? I'm not saying he shouldn't appeal but he does it to some that are not out. Why not ridicule him too?
Complain about this postDespite being and India supporter i cant see what the fuss is about.
I listened to TMS yesterday all day and what was the topic of conversation for two hours after tendulkar and ganguly were dismissed- yes the tendulkar and ganguly dismissals!
Point is these wrong decisions is what makes this game such a high quality product, batsmen have to accept it and walk off.
In football you can be sure they would surround the referee and swear and insult him and make a mockery of authority- not so in cricket and so good for this being the case.
Bad decisions are part of the game, in the 2005 ashes eng had many a favorable decision go their way, same for aus in ashes 2007, so its what makes the game so talked about and unpredictable.
Let us not forget the umpires get the majority of decisions correct (around 96% according to the ICC, obviously they made that figure on a Friday night!)
Help us all when umpires become bean counters.
Remember 2005 kasprowicz and Edgebaston- it was what made the ashes- i.e. an incorrect decision
Complain about this postAs an India supporter, I'm happy that India have a good lead and England is under pressure. But winning is not going to be easy. It will require the cooperation of all the bowlers in the Indian attack. And regarding that, Sreesanth's attitude worries me - I hope someone gives him a kick in the arse today and he comes back more focused tomorrow. I also think Dravid should use all his bowling options well in the innings - that includes Tendulkar bowling his spinners and Ganguly's medium pace.
Complain about this postAnd if England can get a lead of ≥150 the tables may turn!
Cy,
Complain about this postAppreciate the sentiment but to call Ganguly one of the greatest batsmen "to ever grace the game" is outrageous. Tendulkar yes. Ganguly no.
Taufel's umpiring is usually of high quality but Indian batsmen have been at the receiving end of his unusually poor umpiring this series. Dravid at Lords and now Ganguly and Tendulkar. It is especially painful for Indian fans because this is almost certainly the last time the Indian galacticos are going to be playing together in England. It would have been great to see one of our heroes score a ton here.
Complain about this postHello
It's my first time posting on the BBC website. I would just like to suggest viewers of cricket, regardless of which team they support, to not let this issue take up more than its fair share of time and attention. Yes, umpiring decisions can many a times make a significant difference to a game, but I think we can all agree that on an average, a team's collective skills are the overriding factor for the outcome of any match. So, let's not keep a count of how many decisions go against whichever team. Clearly, no decent umpire with an international reputation (Taufel in this case) would like to deliberately make wrong judgements. It would neither suit their character nor would it help their careers.
As for the use of technology, I'd have to agree with using less technology, as ultimately the human factor of umpiring is what, in my opinion, makes the game more interesting to watch. Sure, it's not perfect, but then again, everything needen't always be that way. Also, let the game broadcasters dispell with showing replays and prediction of ball motion to definitely prove the umpires wrong/right. Let us leave somethings to the imagination of the viewers and critics alike, and not undermine the role of an umpire, whose presence only seems ridiculous in the face of these technological alternatives...
Complain about this postStrange day of cricket. Tremlett and Sidebottom bowled really well. The Indians batted exceptionally well, but it was slow and attritional.
The glory days of Tendulkar dominating bowlers seemed about to be reprised.
The issue here is not about Taufel making a mistake. Mistakes happen, albeit those as aggregiously wrong as todays (both Ganguly and Tendulkar) are hard to ignore.
The real issue is that we, the paying public, might just have been denied a sumptuous feast of dominating batting of a brand that we may not ever get to see again on these shores.
I felt that Tendulkar was getting back his impish desire to make trouble for the bowler (evidenced by his inside out shot off Monty over extra cover), and an absolute feast was in store, when his innings, and our viewing pleasure, was cruelly cut short.
So, its less about being angry with Taufel, and more about feeling robbed of the dessert you had saved your appetite for at the best restaurant in town.
But, such is life.
Complain about this postUmpires have to improve and by a good measure. Special training sessions have to held for them. Maybe we should not hire umpires above the age of forty.
Complain about this postAggers
Why is all the focus on the two decisions against Tendulkar and Ganguly
Complain about this postIndian Batsmen got the benefit of the doubt maybe 6-7 times over the course of the 1st day and a half including a couple of shocking decisions going against Panasear. I thought Sidebottom was also very unlucky
Overall I think India definately got the best of the decisions and if even 1/2 of the debatable decisions had fallen englands way then this would have been a more balanced match
comment from a biased englishman......
send him back to down under...
me and tendulkar going to down under and break all records??
and they are worried??
Complain about this postPietersen should let his bat do the talking for a change.......
Complain about this postVery good article Aggers. And I understand why you brought up Sachin and Ganguly's unfortunate exit. Tendulkar's decision was obvious and it was not-out just by looking at the line of ball in real time. There is no replay or Hawk Eye required..
Without a doubt, Taufel has had a bad series so far. At Lord's he gave Dravid and Pietersen out wrongly. Those were marginal decisions though, compared to the poor ones today. Tendulkar had reason to feel aggrieved because, even though he offered no stroke, he seemed to have read the line of the ball correctly. And now we know why Ganguly was fumming..
Complain about this postIt's all very well saying that Taufel got two decisions wrong, what about the number of wrong calls that have gone India's way this match, especially from the other umpire who on first showing here is poor. Hope Cook does not get his fourth wrong lbw decision in a row!
People talk about slowing the game down by using technoogy, absolute rubbish! Why dont the umpires and authorities stop the current time wasting by both batting and fielding sides in the current game before using time wasting as an excuse to defer proper decision making by using good technology. lets get our priorities right! Insist on 30 overs per session before any break and reduce lunch and tea breaks accordingly. That would see a change in attitude.
Complain about this postPoor umpiring decisions go both ways and usually even themselves out over a five day game. England certainly got some bad decisions in the early part of India's innings, and now it is India's turn to feel hard done by. As Jonathan says, umpires are only human and , in my view, it is a pity that this technology was ever introduced, although doubtless inevitable.
England can save this match - time for A Cook's first double century! India don't deserve to go one up in the series after being outplayed and saved by the weather in the first test.
Complain about this postNice game of cricket today and bring it on England, we need some spice in this game of cricket. From India also, we need some ruthless cricket and that will ensure that we will have a cracker of a game. I am wondering if Pieterson could come up with one of those innings that might truly embellish him as a great batsman at par with Tendulkar, Lara and Dravid /Ponting in present form. I expect tough cricket from both the sides tomorrow, Sreesanth, Khan and Kumble hold the key for India. England openers, the captain and Pieterson hold key for England saving this game. At least someone has to come up with very special. Whats the weather for tomorrow
Complain about this postFair analysis Aggers!.
Complain about this postunfortunatly, the umpiring standards in this series has been very poor, and both teams have had their own share of bad luck!. India got away with a few on the 2nd day, but then Ganguly and Sachin got absolute shockers!.
then, what is Your views on India pacing their innings? I think they have missed something by slowing down the innings. the Indian batsman [Laxman and Tendulkar] played a touch too slowly, and thereby the innings lost some momentum. now things depend on the first hour of play. if Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook survive that , there is a big chance of England saving the match!.
The wrong decisions are not given deliberately. These are genuine human failings regardless of competency.Only technology can help matters, but some how the ICC has been reluctant to introduce technology beyond certain point. Perhaps the game may lose its charm and uncertainty if human failings are not allowed to play its part. Perhapa those failings are necessary for the game to make this game fascinating and more interesting.
Complain about this postJust like in NFL ( American football) where the referree's decisions are challenged. We should also allow in cricket challenging umpire's decision.Teams are out their to win and they work very hard at it. Bad calls have no place in a game.Cricket board need to work out a system where the umpire's decision are challenged by the player, captain or the third umpire.
Complain about this postBoth Indians close to their century were wrongfully given out. What do we do to the umpire for a bad decision ?
call him ..He is only human. This is not good enough.
Let us face it there is no such thing like a gentleman's game.
This is a business and a hard fought game for their country.
I love reading Agnew's comments and have a lot of respect for his objective reporting as well as his considered analysis.
However, one point that Agnew makes in this post doesn't sit well with me.
He talks about the two shocking decisions the Antipodean, Simon Taufel, made to send Tendulkar and Ganguly packing. Agnew then says that the two shocking decisions by Simon Taufel ultimately “did not affect India’s position unduly“.
Firstly, it is irrelevant whether or not it did affect India's position. Secondly, I think it could well affect India’s position. Time will tell. However, I predict — perhaps foolishly — that there may well be a few more twists left in this match! India's objective would have been to bat only once in this match. This objective was scuttled by these two decisions.
But life has to go on. One can't brood. One can't complain. One can't whinge. As Ganguly said, rather phelgmatically at the end of days' play, "These things happen. You have to live with it."
Complain about this postHi Jonathan,
Miserable decisions by Simon..I was shocked and most importantly these were top order batsmen who were eying big hundereds and key to an even bigger score for India. Which goes to prove my point as always, when the technology is available today, why not use it..We as viewers, the commentary team and all around the ground have the benefit of slo-mo, hawk eye, replays and the snickometer. I think ICC should get down and formulate a way to go about this thing. If the issue is slowing the game down, then lets go the tennis way. Each team gets only 3 appeals and I am sure that means taking away a maximum 5 mins of an innings. We can live with that than accepting rubbish decisions. The hawk eye was used at this years Wimbeldon and even if there were some initial apprehensions, it was a hit with the spectators as well as the players ultimately. Lets go for it..What do you think?
Complain about this postAnderson was back to his frustrating best yesterday; way too much down the legside. I'm no bowling coach, but he seems to be the one fast bowler in world cricket who does not look at the batsmen as he releases. His head is down towards cover ! How can this make for an accurate delivery ?? Please explain JA.
Complain about this postHawkEye : LBW's
Further to my earlier post (No 24 29/7 8.15pm) and to Barny's post no 63 (29/7 10.59pm) I'd like to take issue with those who have said that certain umpiring decisions have been "wrong" in giving batsmen "not out" when HawkEye showed the ball hitting the stumps. This is not necessarily the case.
As I understand it, what HawkEye is able to do is to predict the path of the ball after it's hit the pad, and the size of the area of predicted possible paths depends on (a) how far the ball's travelled between pitching and hitting the pad, and (b) the distance between where it hit the pad and the stumps. The path shown by HawkEye on TV is just the centre of this area of predicted possible paths.
So if you imagine HawkEye predicting the ball hitting the top of the centre of the off-stump, it doesn't take too big a circle of possible paths before MOST of them wouldn't have hit the stumps at all. (any geometricians about?)
The other point is how high you set the barrier of probability when you have to decide whether or not a batsman should be given out. The batsman's only got one chance, remember. My feeling is that it should be in the order of 90%, in which event a lot of occasions where HawkEye is showing the ball hitting the stumps should correctly be given "not out".
If you go for a probability less than 90%, let's say 50/50, you have to bear in mind that this will alter the balance between batsman and bowler. And that this alteration of the balance is certain to have implications on the approaches to the game of both batsmen and bowlers.
So the considerations to be made about whether or not to use technology are quite a lot more than just improving the accuracy of what we're doing now.
HawkEye is without doubt a catchy device for television, but, as it is portrayed, I think it induces a belief that its answers are much more definite than they actually are.
Complain about this postAfter all we are all human being we tend to make mistakes...but not glaring mistakes...particularly when some one who is near to hundred, who defied the wonderful English bowling...luck did not favor the bowlers but favored by the umpire. I think this happens all the times.
Complain about this postIt is essential to have all eleven people to pursue collectively on the pitch, creating intensity and an environment that's painful for people to strike in or bat out...but not the umpires...umpire should not be part of the 11 people. If umpire become part of the batting, bowling or fielding then the charm of the game is lost, people loose interest...
I think umpire Taufel needs more training in this field, irrespective of amount of experience he carries in an International Cricket. This will be in favour and interest of the game only. This is like an experienced driver makes an accident. Let us be pragmatic in the current world of technology.
Complain about this postSo called elite umpires decision .What a choice ICC made. Mistake after mistake .Shame on a part of ICC .ICC nothing but imcompetent and stupid
Complain about this postIt is very condescending to say that these two errors did not affect the game.
Kevin Peterson coming back on player power is adjudged as 'common sense'!
Umpire is totally wrong. It is not football where it is only 90 min. ON a 5 day game this will not slow the game down when errors can these can affect. India could be 500 for 3 a better state than bewing all out. Also, due to his error he will not give out to legitimate situations, now that england are batting. Even Boycott, has become very parochial.
Just because bowlers appeal does not mean the luck is in India's way - on every occasion the appeal was wrong.
Technology has to come as in American football to be fair to both sides.
Complain about this postI somehow feel that all this talk about umpiring is taking away from the game.Yes Ganguly got a rough one , I am not so sure about Sachin.He could have used his bloody bat!I think India have played better and we have a great game of cricket ahead of usI do feel that India can go ahead weather and sreesanth permitting!!
Complain about this postCan I suggest to all the umpire knockers that you watch a whole day's play and make umpiring decisions in the moment without the luxury of seeing the action played over and over again. Dare I suggest your accuracy would be a lot worse than the umpires. That's why they are the professionals and we are all spectators (or judges & executioners!). I know the technology is there but I like the human element of umpires. They have only seconds to make decisions, just like the players. If we're going to use technology instead of umpires, why not get rid of the cricketers and have robots instead. After all the technology is there as well. Umpires are an important part of what makes cricket such a great game. And I think it is richer for their contribution.
Complain about this postSwamyCricketAnanda
Skys version of Hakeye isnt shown at the ground, only 1 replay is shown without the skyline or hawkeye.
There have been a few poor decisions in these 2 tests and I would see we are pretty much even, so lets not claim anything other than genuine human error. Yesterdays were possibly due to the sun being out, alien conditions this year.
Complain about this postThere were some very close LBW appeals turned down off Panesar and Sidebottom's bowling . It is unfortunate that both Tendulkar and Ganguli were adjudged as out, but one must not forget that the umpires are only human. Both the batsmen rode their luck and could have been out on at least a few ocassions prior to that. One must take joy from witnessing the display from masters at their craft, rarely seen in recent times on these shores. Today's play will be all interesting.
Complain about this postTaufel is Australian isn't he? Engough said!!!!!
Complain about this postI'm not sure what the fuss about the Taufel's decision was he may have given affirmative ut they were balanced up by Howell's not giving middle of middle leg or off stump decisions. To me Taufel miss judged the tendulkar decision by a stump, Monty's middle of middle being turned down was far worse, he missjudged it by all three stumps!
Complain about this postLets use technology for everything.
Lets get rid of the umpires
Complain about this postLets get rid of the players too and why not the fans as well?
Umpiring errors are made in good faith, please lets not try and create a conspiracy theory for every single decision, its pathetic. Tendulkars decision was poor but not a shocker, the ball was missing by 1 inch if that. Just measure 1 inch, see not too far is it?
I would say that Howell has been far the worst of the 2 umpires, not giving Jaffer out when the bowl was going to hit the middle of middle was a shocker. Didnt see too may Indians crying conspiracy yesterday. Grow up and stop making waves where there isnt any.
Dear Aggers,
We all appreciate that umpiring is a difficult job. When there is a marginal decision, it is right that the benefit of doubt should be in favour of the batsman (even though hawkeye - which, in any case, is not infallible - may subsequently show the batsman to be out.
Nevertheless, in many years of playing and watching cricket, I cannot remember ever seeing such a spate of umpires' decisions ranging from poor to downright disgraceful. Some of these errors of judgment have had a major influence on the course (and result) of the matches. Specifically, the refusal of Panesar's lbw appeal against Sreesanth in the final over at Lords and Howell's denial of the Panesar's lbw appeals against the Indian openers in the current Test.
Having denied plumb appeals against the top players, Howell seemingly tried to compensate for his mistakes by "fingering" the Indian tail end batsmen by further poor decisions, something which prospective umpires are warned to guard against in their first lesson in umpiring.
Simon Taufel's decisions against Dravid (at Lords) and Tendulkar and Ganguly (at Trent Bridge) were very surprising as all three appeared clearly to be "not out" even when viewed in real time with the naked eye.
If we are to avoid the results of cricket tests and,perhaps, players' career prospects being decided by human error, then perhaps it is time to consider the use of technology for lbw and caught decisions. Otherwise, before too long, someone will start accusing umpires of being in collaboration with betting rings, if they continue to make such implausible decisions.
Neville Tindale
Complain about this postSingapore
I told you England would pay for their slow over rate in the first test final day. The cricket gods are laughing now.
Complain about this postMaybe its time for the umpires to use hawkeye before they put their finger up, or maybe consult the third umpire, if Kevin Pietersen could be called back after replays showed that the ball dropped before Dhone collected then why can't they send back Tendulkar to carry on batting. Seems to me there is abit of bias and if this is the best umpire in the world then maybe technology has to step in. Ganguly was also given out wrongly but then its been awful umpiring for the last two tests.
Complain about this postWhy should the players are not given opportunity to refer to 3rd. umpire if they feel umpires judgments are not right ( limit the appeals to say 3 times in an inning). This practice was seen in wimbeldon why not in cricket.
Complain about this postAfter all umpires are human being -they can make mistakes -they should not feel bad in taking help of modern technology. T times wrong decisions can be crucial to the team.
gud morning every one!
yesterday was one of the unforgettable day of test cricket as far as the decisions made by simon concerned...
well tht would have made a big difference in indians total cuz...we all know wht will tendulkar do after the century...bang bang bang....thank god monty is escaped...even ganguly was in sublime touch...i have to say one thing about ganguly here...he may not be one of the best batsman in the world but he is one of the great timer ... i remember once dravid said one thing abt him"there is only one god in offside;tht is ganguly...of course we seen tht yesterday...the luckiest player of yestetrday was none other than
monty panesar...god saved him
today is gonna be the best challenge for india...if they can bowl out england by the end of today then tht is the end of the series...
couple of days ago ppls here were talking abt indian batting line up...i think the answer has been given by the performance...remember one thing ppls! still india has the best batting line up in the world even better than aussies. They may be the best team but not the best batting team...that is with no doubts --> INDIA...well
iam really impressed by the way sidebottom bowled yesterday..he is gud...but if sachin and co go after monty the way they did against warney then monty will loose his career so...i think he is allrite now...
today if pietersen and cook fails then england is in trouble and dont forget even rain wont save england as they did to india...
aggers u r a good analyser of the game there is no doubt at all...keep up ur nice work good luck england...(god save them from kumble)
Complain about this postHello Aggers,
That the end of the day its all swings and roundabouts isn't it?? Yes Taufel got both tendulkar's and ganguly's decisions wrong but then Ian Howell got two maybe three lbw decisions wrong on saturday so i would argue that these have balanced each other out.
Simon Taufel is without doubt the best umpire in the world but like you pointed out he is only human and he will make the odd mistake now and again, the law of averages say that this is bound to happen. But its because he keeps his mistakes down to a minimum that he is the best in the world. Don't forget at lords when there was a huge appeal for a caught behind off dhoni, which looked out in real time, Taufel stood steadfast and said not out and tv replays showed that it hit dhoni on the elbow what a great decision that was. If anything Aggers i think you should have written about Ian Howell from saturday.
But come on lets give these a guys a little leeway and talk about the outcome of the game instead. I think this track as got a little easier to bat on now compared to the 1st day so i really think that england can bat a day and a bit to save this test.
Complain about this postlet use tehnology, it would be exactly the same for both teams,hence a fair deal
Complain about this postHi,
The article no doubt reflects the need of transparency in umpiring. But allowing technology interference is the need of an hour in case of some critical decisions.
Complain about this postFor most of the comments, I can vote for one famous saying that:-
"There could be some correct OUT (LBW/Caught) escaped, but decision of giving OUT to a NOT OUT one is against the rules".
This is the benchmark for umpiring.
I can't see the problem here at all. Tendulkar and Ganguly were both out. Simple as that. The reason is perfectly straightforward - if the umpire says you're out, you are. End of story. I thought Tendulkar, whilst obviously unhappy, accepted the decision with good grace in much the same way as Monty took the decisions against him the day before. It's not often you see an lbw shout that really is "hitting middle, half way up"!
Had the decisions gone against anyone but these two (or possibly Dravid), this wouldn't be a story, but journalism is about provoking reactions rather than telling it the way it is. Look how many people have commented!
Umpires, as you say, are human and to take away this element of the game would be a huge loss. They deserve infinite praise for some of the decisions they make, rather than immediate criticism from people who should know better. Whatever your technology told you, Aggers, something suggested to Taufel that Ganguly had made contact. Not only that, take another look at the appeal from England. It clearly wasn't an optimistic claim for a catch, it was immediate and certain. Believe it or not, technology gets things wrong sometimes too.
Amidst many commentators complaints about slow over rates, are you really advocating the introduction of more technology? Do you really think that players wouldn't appeal more and more, with the umpires referring more and more to avoid "mistakes"? How many simple run out decisions are now referred?
Test cricket is at it's wonderful best at the moment, let's enjoy it while the sun is shining rather than finding something new to moan about.
Complain about this postThe two umpiring decisons were 'unfortunate'. My first reaction to the Tendulkar decision was (like Aggers), that it was out. The first slo-mo immediately painted a different picture.
For Ganguly, legside catches are difficult to give either out or not out, and ahcve been wrongly called many times in the past.
As for the use of TV referrals, we have to remember that the rules of cricket apply to ALL games, from tests at Headingley down to smallest of club sides playing each other. I'm not sure the budget exists to make TV replay technology available to every club team in the world....
Complain about this postIf the guy down the other end had got his LB shouts right earlier in the match, then Taufel wouldn't have had to make the mistakes he made yesterday. These things have a habit of evening themselves out, I'm not going to lose any sleep on the matter.
Complain about this postEveryone is going on about yesterdays two incorrect decisions, i seem to remember on saturdays we had two good appeals given not
In the end its all swings and roundabouts
Complain about this postI am rather surprised about Jonathan's comments regarding Simon Taufel's decisions during the second day. There is no doubt in anyones mind that the first ball of Monty's first over straightened and would have gone onto hit middle stump. Simon therefore had made a huge mistake .He then gave the questionable benefit of a second decision to the batsman in Monty's second over which had he given both batsmen out would have left India at something like 70 -2. That would obviously have given England a huge boost and possibly India would have been struggling!
Umpires are human and will make mistakes from time to time but in this case both sides will feel aggrieved but by the time India had 2 bad decisions the damage had been done and England will have to work hard to save the match.
Maybe the answer is to allow both sides say 2 appeals per innings to allow the Umpire to review a decision with the benefit of Hawkeye. This seemed to work well at imbledon this year.
Complain about this postWhat about the umpire down the other end?
Things definitely even themselves out because Monty had two nailed on lbws turnd down.
He then took the players off for bad light while he still had his sunglasses on!
Perhaps he left the guide dog in dressing room...
Complain about this postHi Mr. Paul Blackthorne ..I saw Lagaan ...lovely movie nice acting by you ...:-)
Complain about this postOk I thought that you were playing cricket only in the movie ,but you really do play cricket
Any I am just waiting for an indian victory ..
to get a chance of having a few beers :-)
May the best team win(right now its india:-) )
It's not often I find myself disagreeing with you Aggers, but I believe that Taufel was right to give Tendulkar out. Ganguly, no.
Umpires must be sure that the batsman is out when giving a decision. For most umpires, the correct decision for the Little Master would have been "not out", as they could not have been sure. However, the Australian is the foremost umpire, and his margin of error is very small indeed. His reading of the ball's movement led him to conclude it would have clipped the top of the off stump, and he gave the matter a Bucknoresque amount of thought before raising his finger. I agree with Taufel. He is the man with the experience in the middle. Technology can only even be a guide when it comes to prediction.
Complain about this postAs Aggers has said, Taufel is without doubt one of the best umpires in world cricket. But Taufel is human, and, as such, it is a given that on occasion he will be wrong. In no way can that be held against him.
His decisions, however, raise once again the entire issue of whether the use of technology in cricket should not be substantially enhanced.
I do believe it is time for the ICC to take a call on whether they want accuracy and correctness in the sport, or whether they want to continue with the "glorious uncertainties" of the game.
At the moment, though, I see the ICC falling between two stools - on the one hand they want to limit the use of technology and maintain the umpire's decision as final, and yet on the other, they permit the airing of innumerable replays and technological aids (Hawkeye, Hotspot etc) to show up the umpire's mistakes, which merely leads to enhanced dissatisfaction all round. To me this does not make sense.
I am not a supporter of the "things eventually even out" theory. They well might do so in the broader context of the game, but certainly not always at the individual level. A couple of bad decisions could end a career, or stifle a budding one.
International cricket today is much more than just a sport, it's a profession and a business, involving enormous sums of money by way of contracts, endorsements and sponsorships. And, as in any other profession or business, it is imperative we use what technology is available to enhance accuracy and eliminate mistakes.
Complain about this postTendulkar obviously thought the ball might hit his off stump, otherwise he wouldn't have stuck his pad in the way. When batsmen shoulder arms and pad the ball away, they are relying on being given 'the benefit of the doubt'. I think that's an abuse of 'the benefit of the doubt' rule, so they deserve to come unstuck occasionally. Taufel's judgement was no worse than Tendulkar's.
Complain about this postOne can all it human, I do understand. In Tendulkar's case he did not play the all and one could argue the Umpire ruled in favour of the Bowler. There was nothing to support Simon in ruling Gangly out, the ball had passed the bat and the pads were no where near, neither did the bat hit the ground or any gear. I am convinced that technology has to be used to have a sound judgement!!! thank God these dismissals did not lead to the now fanous Indian Batting collapse. Lets see how the Umpires and the Enlishmen perform on day 4.
Complain about this postWe have seen a major change in umpiring since the arrival of technology. Before this, in the Dickie Bird era, an umpire would only give a positive decision if he was sure beyond reasonable doubt that the batsman was out. We didn't have the technology then to prove either way, but the general consensus was that it had to be hoitting all 3 to be given out.
Contrast this to the current situation where an umpire appears to be giving a decision on "gut feel". I can understand why because they are measured by their success rate, and being part of the elite panel is very lucrative. The danger with this is that there are more poor decisions, i.e. batsman being given out (e.g. Cook, Tendulkar, Ganguly in this test match). But going back to the previous era, the basis for their approach was that a batsman only had 1 chance, so giving a decision on a 50/50 wasn't really fair.
What is the right approach - there is no right & wrong, its all down to opinion. My proposal for LBW would be as follows :-
If the technology is accepted as "good enough and reliable enough" then there should be a 90 or 95% zone around the stumps (inside and outside) and on the line of leg & off stump - If the ball is hitting this zone and the umpire gives it out, it should go down as a poor/marginal decision, likewise if not out, it's an excellent decision. The marks should be allocated as such. If a positive decision is give and the ball is outside the 5% zone, then this is a seriously poor decision and the markings should reflect this.
None of my proposal would over complicate the game itself as it only focuses on how umpire performance is measured. Now that would I think alter the way umpires judge on LBW in particular. (I wouldn't propose this approach for caught behind, which is much more complex). I would add that umpires would then tend to err on the side of the batsman, which I think is right given that they only get one chance.
Incidentally, I wonder how many wickets Underwood, Tiuffnell and spinners from yester year would get in today's game !! By the way, I was a batter, are you surprised ?
Complain about this postit's very disappointing. the decision by so called "one of the world's best know umpires", costed valuable wickets of India's two top guns in a crucial match where two players out there doing everything to seal a higher hand in the tournament. Since, human errors are common in such games, ICC should come up with some new laws. For instance, if the decision is a complete blunder(like the one happened at Trentbridge), then the third umpire should make his decision to send the play back on to the field to continue his game. Because, this is not just a game and such blunders affects not just players but also the teams in many ways.
Complain about this postWhile Taufel undoubtedly got two decisions wrong yesterday, it is worth remembering that at first glance (and after looking at initial replays) both the TMS commentators at the time (I think it may have been Ashley Giles and CMJ) were convinced that Ganguly was out. Only once the hotspot had not shown any evidence did they sway towards questioning the decision. This shows quite how difficult these decisions are to make, and given the pressure of the match, the crowd and the speed with which these decisions have to be made, some errors are inevitable.
Complain about this postUnfortunately this sort of comment is typical of both the BBC and Sky's coverage of the series so far. It seems that only the India hard luck stories get talked about - England have had by far the worst decisions throughout this series. Alastair Cook has been given out 3 times when he wasnt, KP this game, Matt Prior at Lord's. Add to that the Sreesanth LBW to win the 1st test, and countless plumb LBW's which Monty hasnt been given and I dont think India really have any complaints at all. The earlier contributor who suggested that its all pandering to the Indian supporters is absolutely spot on. When an England batsman is given out incorrectly, its called a "very close decision", but when the same happens to India, its an "appalling decision". Come on Aggers, and all you fence-sitters, lets have a bit of consistency in your comments, and be a bit more fair to England - you're all English after all.
Complain about this postas no doubt other people will mention or will have already mentioned, umpiring decisions even out in the end - the idea of absolute fairness is pretty pointless in sport. it's the little human errors that make it interesting.
taufel gave both indian openers not out when they were both PLUMB off Panesar. so yeah. and ganguly and tendulkar got slighlty dodgy ones. DEAL with it!
i back Strauss to go large today.
Complain about this postHello :(
Complain about this postYes, fair points Aggers.
England have been thoroughly outplayed here.
I have ideas and opinions where the team could change but the head bods at the ECB would disagree.
Old Kumble will win it for India today due to low bounce :(
Just goes to show that umpiring decisions are a matter of swings and roundabouts. One day you escape an "obvious" lbw when you've only scored 10'ish runs but get out to a "bad" decision on 90 odd!
Complain about this postSorry, thats life.
There seem to be planty of england supporters feeling sorry for themselves and with pretty bad memories! England often get "home" decisions! I specifically remember a series against SA in 1998 i think where in the final test match with the series poised at 1-1, the worst run of umpiring desicions I have ever seen!! Umpire Akthar saw off the whole of the SA top order to hand england the series!!! Swings and roundabouts Pomms, swinga and roundabouts!
Complain about this postMr. Taufel is surely a human being and one can say "to err is human". But two errors one after the other were too much! Tendulker and Ganguly were nearing their centuries, the umpere should have taken the help of the modern technology to take his final decision.
Complain about this postDon't be so apologetic Aggers. How about Howell's poor decisions against England the previous day? The Indian subcontinentals who dispute a decision of the umpire, accuse them of racism and have them removed anway.
Complain about this postTo paraphrase Mr Noel Cowerd, one bad decision is unfortunate, two is carlessness.
The most unfortunate part is that Tendullkar and Ganguly unleashed on the England bowlers after their hundreds would have been a real treat.
Also it gives a reason for why batsmen do not walk. It all gets even in the end.
Complain about this postI must say I chuckled at the thought that someone was worried about slowing a game like cricket down (esp a game scheduled for 5 days!).
Complain about this postI agree with those who cited the system at Wimbledon where there are a number of challenges available. I guess the difference here is that the line judges at Wimbledon are fairly anonymous whereas challenges in cricket would be directly against a particular umpire. Still, Taufel said he'd be judged by his decision making.
Dear Mr. Agnew,
I would like to pick up on the debate about the use of technology, such as Hawkeye if I may. There are various issues here:-
(i) The principle of using 'automated' external assistance. This is already done to confirm run-outs and boundaries, so the principle is embedded.
(ii) It slows the game down. We are talking about a game that takes the best part of 5 days to complete. How much can it 'slow' the game down, especially if there are limits placed on the number of formal appeals, say 3 per side per innings (I stress formal appeals, and not the the instantaneous enthusiasm type). Further controlled by punitive steps like adding bonus runs to the batting side, or deducting those from a querying batsman, if found wrong.
We would be talking about an interruption of, say 2 - 3 minutes per appeal.
(iii) Accuracy of Hawkeye. Unlike Wimbledon, where Hawkeye is used to re-create the path of a ball, the problem here is the accuracy of Hawkeye's predictive capacity. Allowing for an element of inaccuracy, the 3rd Umpire would reject 'borderline' cases. There is an element of human intervention here, sure, but with the benefit of replays and hotspots and the like.
(iv) 'It goes against the traditions of the game'. Well, so did helmets, limited-overs cricket, neutral umpires (and sledging). All accepted parts of the game now.
Let me draw a parralell - It really like saying with the huge advances in DNA technology, criminal investigations disregard these tools because they 'go against the tradition'.
We have quite amazing tools at hand now, and they should be used, to everyone's benefit. All thats required is a little thought on how to effectively apply them.
Complain about this postDear Sir,
I too find weightage in Simon's decision. The reason :
1. Tendulkar did not offer any shot and as per laws of LBW, if the ball is pitched outside the line of off stump and the batsman does not offer a shot and if in the mind of the umpire the ball has cut or deviated towards the stumps and was likely to hit the stumps if not obstructed by the pads, then the umpire can difinitely give the batsman out.
On the other hand, the rule for LBW is also very clear that if the ball is pitched outside the line of offstump and if the batsman has made an attempt to play the same but he failed to make contact with the ball and the ball hits the pad or the body, then the batsman can not be given out though in the mind of the umpire the ball was to hit the wickets if not obstructed by the pads / body.
2. Tendulkar takes his guard on the leg stump. Thus, if he moves forward or sidewards, he will be able to cover his off stump or a little more than off stump with his front foot and front pad. This means, if the ball is pitched outside the off stump and deviated / swings, then there are all chances that the ball would hit wickets.
Had Tendulkar taken middle stump guard, then he could have saved himself from this decision as umpire would have been sure that tendulkar has covered his off stump and though the ball deviated, it did not deviate enought to hit the wickets.
3. If you go by hawk eye decisions then there are all chances that any team would be defeated in 50-60 overs. Hawk Eye decisions are only to give an idea and not perfect. Whereas if you watch the fast motion / normal motion of this delivery, for once anyone would consider that the ball deviated and would have carried enough to hit the finest of the off stump edge.
I hope you will agree with my views... Thus, simon taufel's decision seems to be right & correct - though it may look controversial.
Complain about this postI do not thik the technology should be used at all.It undermines the umpire and is just another curse of the used to be wonderful game of cricket. Iloathe the ridiculously aggressive nature of the game today Sledging should be stopped by the umpires. why are bowlers praised when they aim at the batsmans head. once helmets were allowed bowlers were allowed to bowl in this manner.Also the ridiculous hugging and high fives, what nonsense it all is. Watch avideo of J Laker taking 19wkts amagnificent achievement thats the way to behave, Isuppose today he would be called Lakey.As for the commentators they donot give details of sores,who is batting the lead or deficit often enough; they somewhat arrogantly assume you have been listening to them all the time
Complain about this postTaufel decisions are tarnishing the image of cricket.
Complain about this postIt seems to me that there were two bad lbw decisions by the other umpire when Ganguly and Tendulkar were on much lower scores
Complain about this postI'm disgusted at the bad decision that occured on the dismissals if Tendulkar and Ganguly and the fact that Taufel is meant to be one of the best umpire, but he let the side down. He should look back at the decisions he made and learn from his mistakes, I know he's only human, but they then should get something that will give the right and appropriate decision.
Complain about this postYeah, and Taufel was determined to get the sides off in the last test, when a modicum of common sense would have meant England gaining the win they deserved. We already had two spinners on, and it didn't rain for a few minutes.
Swings and roundabouts, sports fans!!
Complain about this postFurther to my previous blog, I would like to hear any rational counter-arguments from fellow-bloggers as to the use of technology (in umpiring decisions).
What would these be please?
Many thanks.
Complain about this postPretty sad to see a bad decision given against one of the legends in the game who was extremely determined to score a century. Taufel is a great umpire and im sure hes regretting that decision!
Complain about this postAs others have said, there were also lbw decisions that should have been given (at least 2 as I remember, possibly 3) but were not.
Why is it that TV commentators and online pundits note the poor decisions that went against the batsment but all but ignore the ones that went the other way? Overall, the bad decisions evened each other out - but to read the reports you'd think India had been terribly hard done by.
Complain about this postIf it is decided that Hawkeye will be used for lbw decisions then what happens if the ball hits the batsmans pads on the full. I think the umpire has to assume the balll is travelling in a straight line but with Kumble/Panesar etc. how does anyone know how much it would have turned. It makes a mockery of the whole concept of hawkwye - also if it is a very close half volley the same thing applies
Complain about this postThe time it takes (to have the third umpire review an LBW or caught decision) issue seems to me to be wrong.
Complain about this postRugby Union has benefitted greatly from the use of the TV umpire in deciding whether tries have been scored. Decisions do not take long and are crucial where the referee is uncertain of the score. Just a video replay is all that is required.
Decisions could have been corrected on both sides, and have given the correct result in both the last test match and this one. Ryan Sidebottom was robbed yesterday, as was Sachin Tendulkar. We should be trying to get the right result, not one that is wrong but approximately right by luck rather than judgement. What's five or ten minutes in 30 hours play?
Dear Aggers,
Are you swaying to the dreaded television review for umpiring. It has always been the same, you get good and bad, I've never believed in walking as this is also part of the 'umpiring decisions' mix. It is the human side of cricket that makes it so enjoyable and that it is played in the same way from the sunkissed West Indies beach to the wind swept squares on the moors of Yorkshire.
Please do not slip into this media role as Judge and Jury; informed comment useful, constant harping and picking at descisions useless waste of time. Live with it, it's what made the game great and will continue to keep it there.
Yours an admirer of your general style and Aggers and Boycers summary,
Complain about this postMichael Short
I can't understand why there is so much opposition to the use of technology in LBW decisions. Yes, we can't use it every time a bowler appeals, but surely the umpires can have the option to ask for it to be used before giving a batsman out?
So, if the umpire is dead certain that its out or not-out, he can say so; but when we have a situation where the umpire thinks a batsman is out, but is not sure, the umpire should ask for technology to be used.
Spare me the appeals to "humanity of the game" and "traditionality". Like everything else in the world, cricket needs to move with the time and use advances in technology.
Complain about this postI'm a player with Leith Franklin Academicals Beige Cricket Club (1852) in Edinburgh. I'd like to put the club forward as the best named club in the UK.
Traditionally, the weather up here is worse than down south. However despite it being a worse summer than usual in Scotland, it seems that England has had the worst of it - we at Leith are open to hire out our ground to any of the worst hit county sides who are in need of a ground!!
Complain about this postI feel there is a greater need to use the technology (third umpire) to protect the umpires against accusations of favour/bias. Perhaps a system similar to tennis (Wimbledon) where a limited number of appeals may be allocated to a team to seek a verdict based on the replay of the recording.
Complain about this postDid we have this blog after the decisions in the last series? Or the last test? Or the previous days play?
I fear Mr Agnew has fallen into the trap of starting this debate because he was rather enjoying the display from Messrs Ganguly and Tendulkar - and who can blame him!!??
However, i feel two important things here stand out
1) Decisions like these create the sort of debates that make cricket what it is and i for one would not change that (except 3rd umpire calls for no-balls so the ump can focus on the ball, pitch and batsman 100%);
2) That a great many of the supporters on this post feel there is a conspiracy against the Indian team. If i were Alistair Cook i'd feel there was a conspiracy in this series, Strauss in the Ashes, I even remember Jonty Rhodes over here in '98 getting shocker after shocker. Luckily these haven't affected the outcome of this match like so many other bad decisions that are seldom debated with such fervour.
Let us just enjoy what was a great contest between bat and ball - Tendulkar and Ganguly can look at their respective innings as being the reason their side are in the box seat and they both came in the face of some very good bowling. So what if they had a life on the way, you often need it - just don't be too cross when it catches up to you!!!
Complain about this postIncorrect umpiring decisions have been a part of the game since it began. Just like the use of Hawkeye in Tennis the new technology reveals one important thing - the vast majority of the time, the officials get it right.
But they are human and therefore make occasional mistakes. It is impossible not to. For over a century we have relied upon the authority of Umpires, blessed our luck when a poor decision went our way and cursed it when it didn't. Debates have always raged in dressing rooms after matches and batsmen have always claimed "they've been done" by the umpire. It adds to the beauty of the game rather than detracts from it as it stirs passions that would just whither and die if we surrendered to the cold clinical world of technology.
So what if Taufel got a couple wrong yesterday? Bowlers in the modern game appeal every marginal decision and the sub-continent players are more guilty than most in "over-appealing". In the face of that Taufel gets 90% of his decisions right and he should be forgiven the odd slip up.
Complain about this postAt 12:43 PM on 30 Jul 2007, James Sath wrote: Pretty sad to see a bad decision given against one of the legends in the game who was extremely determined to score a century. Taufel is a great umpire and im sure hes regretting that decision!
that's totally ridiculous. noone wants to get out. why should the fact he's scored alot of runs in his career make it any more or less important in the 'fairness' stakes.
seriously. Toufel is an excellent umpire. in the Indian innings there were several PLUMB LBWs given not out and two dodgy ones given out. WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL? don't you reliase that it is for this very reason that you love this game?
Complain about this postRegarding the Ganguly decision - Kevin Pietersen was called back after the on field umpire referred his decision to the 3rd umpire, having seen a replay on the big screen at Lords.
I think this was a mistake on the part of the on field umpire. There were many commentators who agreed with it, to say if it encourages fair decisions then it has to be good.
Well, what happened here? The precedent had been set and the umpire should have referred it to the third umpire. Once again, consistency is the key.
Regarding LBW's, umpires decision is final - like in any sport, some go your way, some don't.
Complain about this postAs an umpire myself, perhaps those who are always knocking umpires would like to stand in the middle themselves, then they will find out how mentally and physically tiring it is. If you hav'nt done it don't knock it.
Complain about this postRegarding those decisions, I do think the moans are far too loud. Anyone given out when padding up has no cause for complaint - to my mind the spectators have paid to see bat on ball and the bowler should deserve the benefit of any doubt. As I recall, KP took quite some criticism for excessive use of the pad recently and quite right too. And as for complaining at being given out when the ball missed the edge by a fag-paper - well, come on now, the ball beat the bat and after that it's just a matter of luck - hard luck in this case.
Complain about this postThat was the worst decision ever made by an umpire against Tendulkar, It's a shame that Tuefel, as alleged, is a credible umpire, or whatever he is, to make such a decision. Any common person will see that the ball was clearly missing the off stump, that it does not` require REPLYS to verify this. In all unfairness, robbed the poor guy of another century...
Complain about this postIt's patently unfair when commentators and viewers can use technology to assess appeals that are not available to umpires themselves. This is what has created an unnecessary debate with umpires being second-guessed at every opportunity. We should use either umpires or technology but we can't have both. I recommend that the technology should be available only to umpiring panels charged with assessing the performance of umpires from time to time.
Complain about this postAs always England how to win, by dirty tricks.
If england goes by rules, it can not survive.
Complain about this postIt's not just about cricket, as always, England khow to how to win, by dirty and immoral tricks.
If england goes by rules, it can not survive.
Complain about this postMost umpires in the world would have given Sachin out if they had been standing in the middle.
Complain about this postAggers,
Complain about this postNo thanks for sagely professing that Taufell's horrendous decisions were mere human errors. Just get a count of all such human errors against Tendulkar, who in all fairness to Mr.No1UmpireAccordingtoMalcolmSpeed asked for it. Of course people supporting conspiracy theories would suggest that Mr No1UmpireAccordingtoMalcolmSpeed will atone for his sins by giving lbws against England in dead situations.
The only such theory that I have started to believe in is that Tendulkar has less of a chance to succeed against any Tom Dick and Harry with M. Bucknor as umpire than he has against a bowling attack of McGrath, Warne, Pollock, Bond and Muralitharan with one Mr.Dickie Bird as the umpire. The corollary to this theorem is that such human errors as you described are prone to occur only against Tendulkar even if Mr.Bucknor is replaced.
Be that as it may be, India do not deserve to win this match for two reasons -1) With such a strong batting line-up they could not score 500 runs against England 2) Because they opted to gointo this match with only 4 front line bowlers.
cheers,
Sanjeev
Simon Taufell is one of the best umpires around. Hawkeye is far from infallible and Sachin Tendulkar should maybe have been given out seventy or eighty runs earlier. Gangully was probably unlucky this time but that's cricket. It's difficult to tell with him as he's never been the greatest sportsman to draw breath
Pieterson looked to get a bad one in the first innings as well so these things have a habit of evening out.
Were they out? Look in the score book.
Complain about this postThe umpiring has been totally woeful in this match which is a complete surprise. It's been so good all summer.
England have had the worst of it because Cook and Pieterson had scored a lot less at the time of their terrible decisions than Tendulkar or Ganguly.
And that beamer from Shreesanth - surely he had to be ejected from the game? Even if it was not a conscious attempt to bowl a beamer that high it was definitely 'deliberate recklessness'. If you did it in the street you could get arrested. If I'd been pieterson I think i might accidently have let go of my bat at 90 miles an hour in Shreesanth's direction as he followed through, see how he liked it!
Complain about this postWay too many LBW decisions (and indecisions) this series. I have serious doubts about the umpiring. Andrew, Boston, USA
Complain about this postIt is all very well so-called "experts" looking at umpteen re-runs of umpiring decisions from different angles and ponifficating on decisions that have to be made within fractions of a second, I'd tell them to go out there and see how long they'd last as an over-scrutinised international umpire. I've been a league umpire in the past and I can tell you it's a very hard job which brings little praise when you get it right but all the brickbats when you get it wrong. Neither does it do the game any good when famous players stand their ground after being given out. Such actions, which are invariably copied at club and league level,discredit our game. Certainly, batters are disappointed but that's cricket. Just get on with it!
Complain about this postAll you tv watchers and those at the game cannot possibly judge what is lbw and what is not. The ONLY person best placed for this is the umpire. Hawkeye only shows what might be by taking into account a lot of variables - much like a weather forecast. It is a guide only for TV watchers.
The problem these days is the amount of lbw decissions now given in tests. What was it 8 or more in the last test - this is nonsense. Is the umpire absolutely sure that the ball pitched in the right place and would have hit the stumps? In many cases no he isn't, so it is not out. This is the rules of cricket and if the umpire is in the slightest doubt it must be not out.
Complain about this postI would be interested to know if these decisions have been made by Indian or Pakistani umpires against top batsman of England and Australia, what would have been the reaction of the press?
Complain about this postit, bad dission.
Complain about this posti can't belive this
it,s too bad
Please don't criticize Simon . He is the best . And most of all , absolutely impartial .
Complain about this postTo err is human.Element of bias has amply been looked into by ICC selecting umpires/elite umpires.Introducing technology won't lead to 100% correct decisions.By all means help should be sought from it.On field umpire takes an immediate /on the spot decision.This is the beauty.Referrals should be decided by the third umpire by seeing replays at normal speeds may be twice/thrice & not take ages at slower speeds as if to find an escapegoat.Commentators should restrain thier comments to avoid creating a bad taste.Let it be a sport. Encourage sportsmanship.LET CRICKET BE REVIVED INTO A GENTLEMAN'S GAME.
Complain about this postTechnology should be used to eliminate umpiring errors. Errors should not determine the final result of the sport. Some folks might enjoy the agony but most people follow sports because sports satisfy the inner need for fair play after enough of a dose of unfairness in daily life. Most people want that the team that they support should win the game because it deserved to win. If fairplay is promised, then it should be delivered as well.
Complain about this postHello Jonathan,
Complain about this postMy first comment is either in the loop, or you've given it "out"; in the meantime, though, Mr Taufel has made another obvious error. Pietersen's snick off RP Singh was quite audible via the stump microphone, and the appeal was massive and instant. Not out, he said - but the snickometer confirmed Pietersen was caught behind the ball before he was out LBW. No point anyone saying "no harm done, then" - that would be a brainless response. Another mistake, involving a major batsman, and one that could have a bearing on the game, could have been avoided. The fact that he got out next ball has nothing to do with it.
Cheers, Ashwani
In my youth, now horribly distant, many umpires bent forward to lower their heads so they could get a better sense of the height of the ball. It's a long time since I've seen an umpire doing that, and I'd love to know why it has gone out of favour. It would make LBW decisions a little easier.
Complain about this postFair comment Aggers - but let's not forget the combination of decisions and light that took the first test away from England. These things happen.......and I for one do not want every decision referred to technology to decide.
Complain about this postUnfortunately I feel that this match will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. The umpiring has been terrible and it has been hard to accept that you have two of the most capable men on the circuit out on that field making the decisions. I can only hope that the errors that were made are reviewed by the necessary people and whatever action needed to try and stop such obvious mistakes from occurring again is taken
Complain about this postUmpires are not angels by any means. Also they are paid to do the job. If they are doing BAD job, say it. Don't just try to sneak in comments to make them look good just becoz it has gone England way. I donn't know who called this guy the best umprire. Was that person blind (with something ??) ??!!!
Complain about this postThe county game has it right, allow both teams two referals to the third umpire per innings and allow the third umpire access to technology, that would have allowed the batsmen to query the caught behind at least, wlthough LBW's by the prediction that is hawkeye are more dubious.
Complain about this postEngland is always winning with this wrong umpiring decisions. I am ashamed to be British.
Complain about this postThis is the second season running that when Ingerland are in for a heavy defeat atrocious and unwarranted controversy from poor umpiring has let them partly off the hook.
Complain about this postLast year both Vaughan and Fletcher spoke with Hair at the tea interval -with the resultant farce had things gone normally Pakistan would have won by 7-8 wickets!
So did any English player or official talk to Taufel during the interval? How strange how the 2 most potent Indian Batsmen were both given out in the afternoon sesion -one almost immediately after lunch.
The smug crap by the commentary team after and today as "the English Bradman" nears hiw "wonderful materful' innings 100 is disgusting patronising and nauseating. Ho ho jolly good old chaps well its only a game till Ingerland are gettintg beaten.
Of course Simon Taufel will rule out using technology, he wouldn't want to lose his job. The current players need to make this decision.
Infact here is a better idea:
For every appeal, the third umpire tells the standing umpire his decision, and the umpire can signal out or not-out.
Complain about this postI do agree that umpires are humans and hence have human error in them while judging decisions. But, I can see a different issue.
Ganguly's caught behind replays show that he is clearly not-out. In the first test, Taufel made the same error adjudging Kevin Pietersen's caught behind. But, then he upturned his decision after viewing the big-screen. So why not in Ganguly's case? Shouldn't there be consistency in these decisions? Or wasn't the big-screen working at that time?
Complain about this postWhat's the point of ha ing an umpire and trying to rule the game yoursel? They do their best and like the players will sometimes get it wrong. That's life - not death.
Complain about this postI have been watching and indeed playing cricket for many years and I think in recent times, this is the worst continuous exhibition of umpiring I have ever seen. I agree that everyone is entitled to make mistakes but in any walk of life, had these two have been employed by a professional company, both would be joining the dole queue ranks very quickly.
Complain about this postA fine contest that is in the process of being ruined!!!
Dear Fellow Bloggers,
I am dissapointed to see such obvious gingoistic clap trap being discussed. Simply put, no one likes the decisions that go against them and every team likes to capitalise on what they consider decisions going 'for them' by rubbing it into the batting side.
The way this is going I can see this decending to the same sorry state that football refereeing has reached where even top International Referees retire (English supporters forced one to) due to constant questioning, badgering and harrassment.
Remeber all self-righteous idiots that you reap what you sow. :)
Complain about this post'I would like to see Tendulkar & co facing Harmison and Flintoff without the protective gear just like Gavaskar and Boycott faced Lillee, Thomson and West Indian fast bowlers and score the number of runs that they did. To me, that's the real Test between a batsman and a bowler.'- Syed Ali
Complain about this postDear Mr Ali who cliams to earn his living from technology... Just to let you know that we have split an atom since then!
No blame game please!!!!! Umpires have few seconds to decide and let's play in the spirit of the game. It happened with legendary Dickie Bird too!!!! Let's enjoy Monty's spell and Tendulkar's willow.
Complain about this postIt is absolutely unfortunate for a talented record breaking bats men of India. Simon Taufel has made a humanly mistake but the resulst of it is very unfortunate to demoralize the world's best bats man. We have to salute Sachin Tendulkar for respinding so calmly and responsively against a bad decesion. Hope and we pray that such decesions will not demolarize him.
Complain about this postProbably the best two posts so far:
At 08:10 PM on 29 Jul 2007, Andy Plowright
At 05:59 PM on 30 Jul 2007, Neel
Just a quick comment on the following excerpt:
“at 08:17 PM on 29 Jul 2007, Tejpatri wrote:
… the explanation always holds water that these things happen in the wink of an eye but its the job of the umpire to be ready for these kind of situations as he is payed to stand and observe and needs a better mind-eye coordination and concentration …”
Tejpatri, can you name a batsman who could concentrate on every ball of every day and not make a mistake? It happens, get over it people!
And to Sanjay Shah at 06:28 PM on 30 Jul 2007, relax man, I’m sure Tendulkar is not about to enter into a deep state of depression, I think he’ll be just fine ok!
Complain about this postHi Aggers,
Whatever the decision is, i think umpire decision should be the final and the media should stop showing the replays over and over again. after all umpires are humans too and they also do errors but we dont see them often.
Moreover I dont think using technology is always good. What is gaurantee that technology is always correct. There is an instance in Wimbledon final this year. Nadal played a shot, it was clearly out and even umpire knew that but when nadal challanged it showed in. Federer was fuming over the decision.
Complain about this postLBW decisions have always been contentious,to put it mildly.At times umpires have been outright wrong.The outcome for the currnt match wo'nt be affected,although Tendulker was denied
Complain about this postshot at scoring a ton.
International Cricket Council should institute instant replay,consistently and successfully used in many other sporting competitions,on limited basis.There should also be some form pealising element for excessive lbw and caught behind wicket appeals.So much time,energy and effort is directed towards these non-essential and
outcome altering decisions without any substantively backup system.
He is only human and he is an excellent umpire. Hats off to what he has provided to the game so far.
Complain about this postIts not surprising. This is race based game. You will never see these decisions against any white teams.
I think even Lara has been given LBW many times so he could not complete centuries.
If it was British player he would have certainly be NOT out. Same thing goes of cricket player of the year.
Complain about this postThank God umpire was not Aleem or Rauf and match was not played in Ahmedabad or Bombay.
Complain about this postTendulker is one of its kind and nothing can be taken away from him. let us be fair
Umpires did make mistakes which benefited both teams.
While Simon Taufel may have been judged the best umpire for the past three years, his performance has been very poor in this test. Yes, some decision went in favour of India and some against, but as all of us who have played the game know it does not mean that one cancels the other!! There were at least two more umpiring blunders on the fourth day: Vaughan was plumb in front to the first ball that Kumble bowled on the day and Pietersen was caught behind the ball before he was LBW. In Kevin's case it did not affect the game, but Vaughan's LBW impacted the game very substantially. Maybe we need a code for teh third umpire to review the decision while the batsman is walking back and recall if a mistake has been made.
Complain about this postMr. Agnew, to be honest, I personally have deep respect for you as a cricker correspondent. However I am tempted to ask you whether you could have been so lenient to Taufel had he made wrongs decisions on BOTH Cook and Vaughan in a same innings ?
Complain about this postSachin has been an easy target for all umpires across the small world of cricket. We Indians probably now have the right to conclude that this is done deliberately to stop augmenting Sachin's performance score against the same of cricketers outside the Indian sub-continent.
Sir,
Complain about this postSome of the decisions could be influenced by
Ian Chappell.In turn by Greg Chappell.Both seem to have an axe to grind.
Chris
Yes indeed umpiring was very bad in this test match. Everyone talking about Monty lbw appeals. Which was actually doubtful, but how about Simon Taufel give out to Sachin Tendulkar when he was very close to his hundred and eventually Saurav Gangualy, when he was really playing well. Collingwood can’t say that luck had not been with England team today. Only Michel Vaughan can say that luck was not with him when he was playing brilliantly and got out by Zaheer Khan. But the truth is that Indian bowler played superbly, Specially Zaheer Khan and RP Singh.
Complain about this post