The LBW decision, last night, that sent AB de Villiers back to the pavilion was, in my view, the most disgustingly bad decision you could ever see. The deflection from AB’s bat on to his pads was the result of — to use the commentator’s own words — a thick edge. Not even a thin edge which could have left some room for doubt. No, no, no, it was a thick edge!
That ruined the match for me and I turned off the TV.
Shortly after, a friend phoned. He was almost incoherent with rage. “That umpire is as bent as a dog’s hind leg,” he howled. “He must be on the take with the bookies, there can be no other explanation.”
I pointed out that Smith had earlier survived a pretty solid appeal.
“No, no, you don’t get it,” my friend said, “the bookies take bets on individual outcomes. The bet might hinge on whether AB would make another half-century. They bet on anything. Will a player’s boot laces come undone? They’ll even bet on that.”
I personally don’t suspect anything so sinister. To my mind it was simply an atrocious decision; you get them all the time in cricket. But having said that, why was the referral system not in operation for the match? We have the technology to ensure that there never again will be a bad decision. Why not use that technology?
The referral system has shown — in the matches where it has been in operation — the fallibility of even the best umpires. Wrong decisions are routine as teatime.
I simply cannot understand the resistance to the referral system. Those against it keep intoning the mantra that it detracts from the spirit of the game. I beg to differ. Referrals add to the excitement: will the umpire’s decision be upheld … or will the umpire’s, decision be overturned?
A batsman should receive his marching orders only when he genuinely is out. Anything else is an injustice to the player and the spectators. I even get upset when a wrong decision goes against the opposition player. That’s just not cricket!
Let’s make referrals mandatory in all cricket matches, it’s the right thing to do.
