Bumrah was asked about neutral umpires in the wake of Tim Paine’s exit call.
Without actually saying that India was denied Tim Paine’s wicket in a closed appeal on the first day of the Boxing Day test, Jasprit Bumrah has said it is “unfortunate” that neutral referees cannot travel for the tests. However, he was quick to add that it wasn’t something he or his team focused on.
Replays of this exhaustion appeal showed contrasting evidence. One angle showed Paine’s bat in the crease when Rishabh Pant broke the stumps, while the other side angle showed that Paine’s bat could have slipped over the line. Third referee Paul Wilson was heard saying he had no evidence to conclude that Paine’s bat was “on the wrong side of the line,” and dismissed it as a no-out.
While Wilson made the decision, teams were able to watch replays on the big screen at the MCG. A couple of Indian gardeners raised their finger to make an “out” gesture when the replays were shown. Captain Ajinkya Rahane was also seen chatting with the referees on the field.
At the press conference, Bumrah was asked whether, in the context of this appeal, he agreed with West Indies Test captain Jason Holder’s recent sentiment that if players traveled for exams, referees were neutral. they could too.
“Look, these are the things we can’t control,” Bumrah said. “I understand that situations are difficult and all these things are out of our hands. I try not to focus on the things that we cannot control, but yes, it is a shame that the referees cannot travel. But it is something that I do not have the power to change. We try to focus on things that we can change. That’s the only thing our team is focusing on. Whether a decision goes our way or not, we have to look ahead and focus on the next ball. “
However, Bumrah did not expressly say that he thought Paine was out or if a neutral referee had ruled in favor of India. After the recent New Zealand tour, Holder had raised this question, especially in light of T20I captain Kieron Pollard’s discontent with the referee.
“The referee, Polly [Pollard] it sure had some question marks about arbitration on the T20 series. But look, I try to go as far as possible. What I would say about arbitration, or the situation of arbitrators, is that if we can travel and do a quarantine, I don’t see why an opposing arbitrator (abroad) cannot travel and do the quarantine, “Holder said at the end. of the tour.
Sidharth Monga is assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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