Australian opener David Warner has asked for the individual umpire statistics to be shown on the big screen during matches in a bid to improve the accountability of cricket’s on-field officials. The Aussies have been the victim of several close call in the ongoing World Cup in India, where reviews have been notably slower than in home matches.
“Players’ stats go up on the board as you walk out to bat. When they announce the umpires and they come up on screen, I’d love to see their stats come up on the board as well. Over the period of time, obviously players get dropped for poor performances. It’s never explained to us about how or what goes on with the (umpire)’s panel,” said David Warner.
David Warner coped up a tough decision recently
Facing Sri Lanka in the World Cup match, Warner was at the center of a tight decision against Sri Lanka in Lucknow recently. The left-handed batter was given out LBW by Joel Wilson to a ball angling down leg. Warner reviewed the decision but ball-tracking showed the Dilshan Madushanka delivery clipping leg stump, with the decision remaining out on umpire’s call.
“Wilson said the ball was swinging back so to his credit, if he thinks that then that’s why he’s given a decision. But then when you see the replay of how it unfolded you get a little bit annoyed, [but] that’s out of our control. I just sprayed out loud in frustration pretty much just [to] myself,” said Warner.
Warner went on to add that he believes some umpires are far more willing to give batsmen out than others. “As a player you definitely know which umpires are going to keep those 50-50 ones when you’re hit on the pad. And that’s where, from my perspective, it gets frustrating. Because you know literally if you get hit on the pad it could be a close one unless it’s definitely not out,” said Warner. “There’s no bias in anything. It’s just you feel like that as a player sometimes,” he added.