Serious question. At times during the Ashes series it struck me that these two officials had to be either bent, mentally defective, visually impaired, or "on a frolic of their own". The latter hypothesis only occurred to me after Hill turned down two absolutely plumb lbw appeals by Broad in the same Test and in identical circumstances (England having run out of reviews). Either the Kiwi was "punishing" the bowler for his "unpleasant" (Broad's own words) demeanour and overenthusiastic style of appealing, or he was conducting some sort of obscure campaign of subversion against the sport's lbw law.
As for Erasmus, he's proven time and again over the years that he cannot be relied upon to make correct calls on quite straightforward decisions even as third umpire and with the benefit of a variety of different camera angles, slow motion replays and other technological aids. (Interestingly, on each of the many occasions he's made these howlers when I've been watching, the TV analysts have made the right call without hesitation and mostly without even having to rely on the more exotic decision making tools).
If this man is not forced to take an eye exam and to accept being breath tested before being allowed into the third umpire's booth at the start of each morning's play in future, then someone at the ICC is not doing his job. Hill should be made to take an eye exam (and perhaps a simple IQ test) also. All this should be pending a thoroughgoing review of the performance and competence not only of these two officials but of international umpires in general. There's no time to waste as this latest Ashes series has left a bitter taste in my mouth: guys have got big centuries having been 'out' but not given five or six times before having reached thirty!
As for Erasmus, he's proven time and again over the years that he cannot be relied upon to make correct calls on quite straightforward decisions even as third umpire and with the benefit of a variety of different camera angles, slow motion replays and other technological aids. (Interestingly, on each of the many occasions he's made these howlers when I've been watching, the TV analysts have made the right call without hesitation and mostly without even having to rely on the more exotic decision making tools).
If this man is not forced to take an eye exam and to accept being breath tested before being allowed into the third umpire's booth at the start of each morning's play in future, then someone at the ICC is not doing his job. Hill should be made to take an eye exam (and perhaps a simple IQ test) also. All this should be pending a thoroughgoing review of the performance and competence not only of these two officials but of international umpires in general. There's no time to waste as this latest Ashes series has left a bitter taste in my mouth: guys have got big centuries having been 'out' but not given five or six times before having reached thirty!
