Pakistan left up in arms
By Robert Craddock
February 8, 2005
ARMED with the contents of a private investigation, an angry Pakistan cricket team believes Australia bluffed its way to a 6/1 advantage in dubious umpiring decisions this summer.
Coach Bob Woolmer yesterday revealed Pakistan became so concerned about their misfortune with close calls they conducted a secret video review of every decision judged by technology to be incorrect throughout the summer.
“It went 29-5 against us,” Woolmer said before leaving for Pakistan yesterday.
Woolmer believes Australia reaped the benefit from more theatrical appealing and fanatical home town support which triggered umpiring misjudgments, even if, as in most cases, the adjudicators were from overseas.
“Umpires are not cheats. I would never accuse them of that. But I do believe they are influenced by the way teams appeal and by the crowds,” he said.
"The Australians play this part of the game very well. The way they appeal and the way the crowd supports them creates subconcious pressure on umpires and it shows.
“People can say an umpire gives a decision on what he sees rather than the appeals but I disgree. The appeal is very much a part of it. It is a very fine line.”
Woolmer will study the boisterous way the Australians appeal in a bid to make his team more effective at the art.
“I am looking at how we can do it better, even if that means training at it,” he said. "Maybe we need to appeal only when we are certain it is out and appeal very strongly.
"Also there are ways of conducting yourself when you are batting to get the message across to an umpire that an appeal against you is not out. We must look at that as well.
"The team has taken it well but there were five close decisions which went against us in the first (one-day) final on Friday night. It was too hard to take. And then came the second final when Adam Gilchrist was plumb lbw early and given not out (by South African umpire Rudi Koertzen).
“Quite frankly Australia were the better side against us this summer but some of these decisions made a huge difference. You are talking about decisions which players’ careers rested on.”
Woolmer believes the controversial Hawkeye tracking system should be used in international cricket.
"I am not saying it’s perfect but I am a fan of Hawkeye. At the very least it is the same for both sides so you take all those other factors out of play. I am not having a go at umpires because they get it right well over 90 per cent of the time.
"But if the technology is there why not use it?
“People say that if you introduced Hawkeye it would rob the umpires of incentive to do their jobs but there would still be a lot for them to do.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has responded to the umpiring furore by sending a letter to the International Cricket Council urging for the appointment of two neutral umpires for one-day games.
Presently Test matches contain two neutral umpires with one neutral and one home umpire at international one-dayers.
Woolmer said there was no lingering bad blood between allrounder Abdul Razzaq and Brett Lee, to whom the Pakistani unleashed two beamers and was withdrawn from the attack in the second final in Sydney.
“Both balls were accidents and they were fine with each other when they spoke after play.”
