Worst Umpiring Decisions - Cricinfo article

[Richard]

Simon Taufel in rare shocker as TV umpire during the final test of the 1998/1999 Ashes series gave Michael Slater not out after he was run out, by at least a foot, by Dean Headley early in his innings. Slater had walked 1/2 way to the dressing room when the decision was made & Alec Stewart had to run after him & call him back.Infact it was so clear cut the commentators were asking why the official had called for the TV umpire.

Slater went on to make a great hundread (looked a class apart from the rest of the batsmen) & Australia won the test by just under a 100 runs

If England could have won that test they would have tied the series a very rare occurance in Australia in recent terms.

Meh, there's several other occasions where a decision or a dropped catch has potentially been all that stopped England from beating \ drawing with Australia since 1994\95. The worst of the lot was Stephen Waugh being given not-out when Caddick had him plumb lbw 1st ball in the Third Test in 1997 - Waugh going on to make 108 out of 235 after Australia had been thick enough to bat first on a green seamer. Had Waugh been given England could easily have knocked 'em over for 150 or so (at best) and then it might well have been first-innings parity or even England having a lead.

Worst thing of all was they were 1-0 up at the time (though fortuitously after rain in the Second Test) and the series turned on that game.

Next Test Thorpe dropped Elliott and what would have been 50 for 5 (in reply to 172) became 318 for 5 and eventually 501, from whence there was no way back.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Simon Taufel in rare shocker as TV umpire during the final test of the 1998/1999 Ashes series gave Michael Slater not out after he was run out, by at least a foot, by Dean Headley early in his innings. Slater had walked 1/2 way to the dressing room when the decision was made & Alec Stewart had to run after him & call him back.Infact it was so clear cut the commentators were asking why the official had called for the TV umpire.

Slater went on to make a great hundread (looked a class apart from the rest of the batsmen) & Australia won the test by just under a 100 runs

If England could have won that test they would have tied the series a very rare occurance in Australia in recent terms.

Really pissed me off that decision.

Robin smith was also done by the 3rd umpire in the 1995 world cup q/f against Sri Lanka. I think it was said that the umpire pressed the wrong button. . That had no impact on the game what so ever though as England still would have been thrashed.

There is no way a Third Umpire is going to give it not out if it's out by "at least a foot".

 

[chalky]

Meh, there's several other occasions where a decision or a dropped catch has potentially been all that stopped England from beating \ drawing with Australia since 1994\95.

Not in Australia & that series was only relatively close due to the wash out of the 1st test. The last 2 series have been over by the end of the 3rd test.

 

[chalky]

There is no way a Third Umpire is going to give it not out if it's out by "at least a foot".

Trust me it was the batsmen had walked.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Trust me.

No, go and buy a tape measure or ruler and see just how far a foot is.

 

[Richard]

Not in Australia & that series was only relatively close due to the wash out of the 1st test. The last 2 series have been over by the end of the 3rd test.

Yeah, the last 2 away and 2001 home and 1990\91 were TBH but 1994\95 could easily have been drawn or even gone the other way, and 1997 certainly could.

By-and-large, 2005 excepted, England put-up far more of a fight against the Australians in the 1990s than they have in the 2000s so far.

 

[chalky]

No, go and buy a tape measure or ruler and see just how far a foot is.

"Slater played perhaps his greatest innings, hitting 123 out of Australia's second-innings total of 184, but England were angry over the life given to Slater on 35, when he was surprised by Dean Headley's throw from long-on, a direct hit at the bowler's end.

Repeated television replays on the giant video screen made it seem Slater had failed to make his ground by an inch or so, but he was given the benefit of the doubt by the third umpire, Simon Taufel."

OK perhaps i exaggerated a little it was nearly 9 years ago, and I was watching in the early hours of the morning.

Still definately out, a shocker of a decision when you have the TV replays. Add to that the fact that the batsmen had walked after seeing the replay on the bif screen tells u all u need to know.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

 

[James_W]

Pietersen c & b Kumble not given. It went to the the third umpire and it was clearly out but the third umpire gave it not out. I couldn't believe it, KP went on to make 87 I think.

 

[AKkAz]

Hair's dismissal of Tendulkar (Aus vs. India) given lbw off the helmet certainly was surrounded by controversy

 

[Johnners]

Martyn lbw to a huuuge inside edge Ashes '05, 2nd test iirc.

 

[bond21]

Any decision given by Billy "Look at me" Bowden

what a joker.

 

[burr]

"Slater played perhaps his greatest innings, hitting 123 out of Australia's second-innings total of 184, but England were angry over the life given to Slater on 35, when he was surprised by Dean Headley's throw from long-on, a direct hit at the bowler's end.

Repeated television replays on the giant video screen made it seem Slater had failed to make his ground by an inch or so, but he was given the benefit of the doubt by the third umpire, Simon Taufel."

OK perhaps i exaggerated a little it was nearly 9 years ago, and I was watching in the early hours of the morning.

Still definately out, a shocker of a decision when you have the TV replays. Add to that the fact that the batsmen had walked after seeing the replay on the bif screen tells u all u need to know.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

I remember that very well. I was ecstatic at the time But yes, Slats was very lucky.

 

[Goughy]

Hair's dismissal of Tendulkar (Aus vs. India) given lbw off the helmet certainly was surrounded by controversy

Was off his back wasnt it? On repeated viewing and side on replays Id have given it

 

[slugger]

awful decision will continue and games will continue to be smeared with what ifs and buts.. however this can be solved if not elimented through the use of techonolgy.

the icc dont want to embrace techonolgy but are happy to send an an umpire whos deaf in one ear to determin the out come of international test match..lol

 

[White Lightning]

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/columns/content/current/story/321553.html

Interesting. Can think of at least two that are missing from the Australian perspective; umpire Cummerbatch giving Dean Jones given run-out in the WI in 1991 and Craig McDermott given out caught behind by Darryl Hair in Adelaide 1992 for the WI to win by one run (although it cost the Test, the howlers given NOT out against Craig McDermott earlier were almost as bad too; that match should never have gotten to be that close). Aside from those, the Aussie team has been relatively unscathed. Any other obvious ones peopel care to add or discuss?

top cat the first one that sprung to mind was that craig mcdermott decision.

mainly because of the enormity of the decision. if we won that test we'd have had the series won (2-0 with only 1 test to go) and thus would've been a defeat of the west indies.... as it turned out we won the next series and haven't been beaten since.

 

[White Lightning]

awful decision will continue and games will continue to be smeared with what ifs and buts.. however this can be solved if not elimented through the use of techonolgy.

the icc dont want to embrace techonolgy but are happy to send an an umpire whos deaf in one ear to determin the out come of international test match..lol

i don't think we should overload ourselves with technology.

part of the fun is some of these decisions. at the end of the day it's only a game.

the flip side of course is, unlike in the past, wrong decisions can cost players a career or big amounts of money due to a bonus for winning or something like that...

but i agree with you that if we aren't going to embrace technology than you can't hang the umpires for wrong decisions because they are going to happen.

 

[The Sean]

top cat the first one that sprung to mind was that craig mcdermott decision.

mainly because of the enormity of the decision. if we won that test we'd have had the series won (2-0 with only 1 test to go) and thus would've been a defeat of the west indies.... as it turned out we won the next series and haven't been beaten since.

I assume you mean by West Indies?

 

[JBMAC]

Colin Egar's "calling" of Ian Meckiff-first test against SA Brisbane.There was NO doubt in Purists minds this was a set up

 

[AKkAz]

Any decision given by Billy "Look at me" Bowden

what a joker.

You do realise he's not doing it on purpose dont you

 

[Burgey]

The Slater one was, iirc, given not out because back then there weren't side on cameras from both sides of the wicket, and the view from the side the camera was on was partially obscured by a fielder. You could, however, clearly infer that Slater was wll short at the time the bails were taken off.

In the 2005 Ashes, Brett lee hit Simon Jones on the full, on the back pad, shin high, from around the wicket. It was hitting middle 9 inches from the bottom. I remember how distraught Lee was at the time, more so when Jones and Flintoff added 40-odd for the last wicket.

I think it was either the 2nd test or 3rd, not sure.

Also, Andrew Symonds opened in a one dayer for the first time in Hobart a few years back and was given not out to a blatant caught behind. He made 80 odd I think which kept him in the side leading into the 2003 WC. The rest, as they say....

Also at Hobart, there was a massive shout for acaught behind vs Langer in the famous partnership between he and Gilly in the test where Australia chased 369 vs Pakistan. I think Wasim was the bowler and the whole side just blew up a treat. There was a huge noise, but Langer I believe maintains to this day that he did not hit the ball.

In the Shakoor Rana series, I seem to recall Chris Broad being given out stumped. His foot didn't move from before the bails were taken off, and he was about 4 inches behind the line. A shame. he would have gone on to make at least 8.