KARACHI: Pakistan is likely to push for the umpire referral system to be implemented in One Day Internationals also in a bid to avoid ‘appalling decisions’ like the ones that blew their team’s chances of reaching its first-ever Champions Trophy final in South Africa last weekend.
Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) informed Arab News that the national team management as well as some senior Board officials were left fuming after some bad calls by umpires Simon Taufel and Ian Gould dogged Pakistan in their Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand.
According to the sources, the PCB is now planning to push for the implementation of referrals in one-dayers. Video referrals have been permanently implemented in Test cricket from this month.
Pakistan were favourites to beat underdogs New Zealand and reach the final for the first time but were undone by the Kiwis, who recorded a five-wicket triumph to set a date with Trans-Tasmanian rivals Australia. The Aussies hammered New Zealand by six wickets in the final to defend the Champions Trophy crown.
Some experts in Pakistan believe that Pakistan were undone by the umpires. They believe Australia’s Taufel and England Gould gave some appalling decisions in the semifinal. Taufel adjudged promising youngster Umar Akmal lbw though television replays confirmed later that the ball deflected off the batsman’s bat before hitting the pads. Umar was batting at 55 and his dismissal ended hopes of a big Pakistani total. Taufel and Gould also turned down a series of confident appeals when the New Zealanders were chasing the target.
Sources told this correspondent that the Pakistan team management wrote a stinging post-match report against the standard of umpiring in the semifinal and described it as ‘pathetic’.
Officially they will not make any comments because of the rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC), but privately team officials will tell you that they were shocked by the poor judgment of experienced umpires like Taufel and Gould.
“We believe that after what happened in our semifinal against New Zealand, the ICC should have the umpire referrals system in one-dayers as well,” said an official, who requested anonymity.
“There were at least half a dozen poor calls that went against us, mostly at critical situations during the match. It was something that could have been avoided if video referrals were allowed in one-dayers,” he said.
