Joel Wilson may welcome his switch to the TV umpire’s booth for the second Test at Lord’s next week after the Trinidadian official equalled the record for the most overturned decisions in a match.
When Joe Root successfully reviewed after being given out lbw to Peter Siddle for 18 on the final morning at Edgbaston – the ball struck the inside edge before its impact with the pad – it was the eighth time across five days that one of Wilson’s calls had been overturned.
That figure equals the record shared by two umpires since the decision review system was introduced 11 years ago. Kumar Dharmasena’s tough Test came in 2016 when England beat Bangladesh on a spinning pitch in Chittagong, with half of his 16 out/not out decisions changed on review (including three in six balls).
The Indian official Sundaram Ravi endured a similarly challenging Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2017 with eight calls changed following the use of technology.
Day 1: Over 14.2 Review by England (bowling), batsman Khawaja (review upheld); Over 34.6 Review by England (bowling), batsman Wade (upheld); Over 46.1 Review by Australia (batting), batsman Siddle (upheld).
Day 2: Over 20.6 Review by England (batting), batsman Root (upheld).
Day 3: Over 2.6 Review by England (bowling), batsman Warner (upheld).
Day 4: Over 84.2 Review by Australia (batting), batsman Wade (upheld).
Day 5: Over 12.6 Review by England (batting), batsman Root (upheld); Over 16.4 Review by England (batting), batsman Root (upheld).
Wilson, who was promoted to the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires last month after 13 Tests and 63 one-day internationals, is one of just five on the 12-strong list who can stand in an England-Australia match given the need for neutrality by way of nationality.
But with the more experienced Aleem Dar also having two decisions overturned at Edgbaston – the Australia batsmen David Warner and James Pattinson also failed to review two incorrect lbws by Dar on day one – there have been calls for an end to this requirement in order to share the workload and reduce fatigue.
Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, has said he will raise the issue of neutral umpires at the next MCC world cricket committee – a thinktank that can only offer recommendations to the ICC. He believes the best umpires, such as England’s Richard Kettleborough, are missing out on high-profile series.
Root, however, said: “Players make bad decisions from time to time – and as a result either lose their wicket or get smacked out of the attack. Umpires are going to make mistakes. It would be easy to over-criticise and point the finger. We have to respect and understand that they are under as much pressure at the players.”
The officials for this summer’s Ashes are set in stone. Dar and New Zealander Chris Gaffaney will be on the field at Lord’s, with Wilson down to be third umpire. He will then return for the third Test at Headingley, before Sri Lankans Dharmasena and Ruchira Palliyaguruge, and South Africa’s Marais Erasmus see out the series.
