West Indies Coach Questions Umpiring Consistency After Contentious Test Decisions Against Australia

West Indies coach Daren Sammy has expressed concerns regarding the consistency of umpiring decisions during their first Test against Australia, particularly those made by TV umpire Adrian Holdstock. The concerns arose following a series of controversial reviews on the second day of the match.

West Indies complained of DRS mistakes by third umpire Adrian Holdstock during their first Test against Australia. (AP)

Sammy met with match referee Javagal Srinath to discuss the issue, highlighting that his unease with Holdstock's umpiring stemmed from previous experiences in the ODI series in England.

Two specific decisions caused significant frustration for the West Indies team:

• Roston Chase's LBW dismissal: The team believed there was evidence of an inside edge before the ball hit his pads.
• Shai Hope's caught-behind dismissal: Alex Carey's catch was deemed clean after review, a decision the West Indies players questioned.

Sammy emphasized the need for clarity and consistency in the decision-making process. "We are just trying to find some sort of understanding as to what the process is," Sammy stated. "We only hope for consistency. That's all we could ask for. When there is doubt in something, just be consistent across the board."

He further added, "I have noticed, especially with this particular umpire, it's something that for me started in England. It's frustrating. I just ask for consistency in the decision-making."

Sammy elaborated on his concerns about Holdstock's umpiring, stating, "Yeah, look, you don't want to get yourself in a situation where you're wondering about certain umpires. Is there something against this team? But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question. I know he's here for the series. You don't want to go in a Test match having that doubt."

He reiterated the importance of trust in the umpires, "So I want to have that conversation as to the process… so we could be all clear. Because, at the end of the day, you don't want to be going into a Test match not trusting the umpires. And that's not what our team is about. So we're just looking for some clarity as to the decisions."

When asked about the possibility of filing a formal complaint, Sammy remained undecided.

An X user on the officiating in the West Indies vs Australia first Test.

Speaking about Chase's dismissal, which occurred during a vital 67-run partnership, Sammy commented, "In our opinion, we saw the ball deviated onto the pad."

Sammy also drew attention to a comparison between Hope's dismissal and a similar incident involving Travis Head the previous day, where Head was given a reprieve. "I'm just saying, judge what you see," Sammy explained. "If you see the same thing and one is not out, there is even more doubt on the other one than you give it out. Again, I don't know what he's seen but from the images that we've seen, the decisions are not fair enough for both teams. We're all humans. Mistakes will be made. I just want fairness."

Australia also faced a contentious decision when their LBW appeal against Chase early in the day was turned down. Mitchell Starc raised questions about the synchronisation of images and audio during the replays.

"There's been some interesting ones," Starc acknowledged. "Obviously a couple more have gone against the West Indies than us. One for us [against Chase] looked like there was a gap between the bat and the ball, it cost us 40-odd runs, but then a contentious one to then get the wicket."

"As players, you can only ask a question. We don't use the technology to make that decision. It sort of felt like, or looked like, that the Snicko and the images were out of sync to some capacity."

An X user on the officiating in the West Indies vs Australia first Test.

An X user on the officiating in the West Indies vs Australia first Test.

Starc also pointed out that the Australian team felt Head's edge to Hope should have been given out the previous day.

Sammy acknowledged the potential consequences of commenting on match officials and has advised his players against publicly discussing the decisions. "We know the rules. We know fines going all across the board," he stated. "I don't want them to focus on that. Yes, we're kind of shooting ourselves in the foot by dropping so many catches, but look at the Test match, [us] against our own selves, some of these decisions, and we're still in a position to win."