Star cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has openly slammed umpire Paul Reiffel for what he perceives as biased decisions against India during the thrilling Lord’s Test.
Umpiring Under Fire at Lord’s
The recent Test match between India and England at Lord’s was a nail-biter, especially on Day Four, which saw 14 wickets fall. Amidst the high drama, several contentious umpiring decisions sparked significant debate and frustration.
A key moment involved England’s Joe Root, who survived an LBW appeal from Mohammad Siraj. Despite DRS showing the ball would have clipped the leg stump, the “umpire’s call” rule gave Root a crucial lifeline. Siraj’s visibly angry reaction highlighted the team’s dismay.
Earlier in the match, India’s captain Shubman Gill was given out caught behind off Brydon Carse. However, replays on DRS clearly confirmed the ball never touched Gill’s bat, leading to the decision being overturned.
Ashwin Alleges Bias Against India
Taking to his YouTube channel, ‘Ash ki Baat,’ former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t hold back his criticism of umpire Paul Reiffel.
“My experience with Paul Reiffel… Whenever India bowls, he always feels it’s not out. Whenever India bats, he always feels it’s out,” Ashwin stated. He stressed that if this pattern holds true for other teams too, the International Cricket Council (ICC) should investigate the matter.
Ashwin also recalled another decision involving an Indian batter, where Reiffel had given an out, but DRS showed a massive gap between the bat and ball. “I own a car, a sedan, which I can park through the gap between the bat and ball. It’s clear it was not out,” he exclaimed, emphasizing the undeniable error.
He even mentioned his father’s long-standing observation: “whenever Paul Reiffel comes, India will not win.” This suggests a deeper, perceived pattern of decisions impacting India’s prospects.
Cricket Pundits Echo Concerns
Ashwin isn’t alone in his critique. Several Indian cricket legends have also voiced their dismay over the umpiring decisions during the Lord’s Test.
Sunil Gavaskar openly expressed his shock on air during commentary. Former India captain Anil Kumble also weighed in, remarking, “It seems Paul Reiffel has decided that it is not going to be out. Anything close, not out.”
Even former England cricketer Jonathan Trott acknowledged the closeness of the Root LBW decision. He noted that despite the umpire’s call, the ball was “hardly missing the leg stump,” indicating that India’s frustration was indeed understandable.
- Ravichandran Ashwin publicly criticized umpire Paul Reiffel for perceived anti-India bias in his decisions.
- Specific incidents included Joe Root’s LBW dismissal (saved by umpire’s call) and Shubman Gill’s overturned caught-behind.
- Ashwin highlighted a pattern where Reiffel tends to rule against India when they bowl and for the opposition when India bats.
- Other cricket experts like Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, and Jonathan Trott also questioned the umpiring standards.
These incidents have certainly sparked a wider conversation about umpiring consistency and the impact of the ‘umpire’s call’ rule in high-stakes matches.
