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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Stokes: Remove Umpire's Call!

Stokes: Remove Umpire's Call!

By REDIFF CRICKET
February 19, 2024 10:09 IST
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IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah successfully appealed for an LBW against England opener Zak Crawley. Crawley reviewed the decision and had to walk back on 'Umpire's Call'. Photographs: BCCI
 

Following England's 434 run walloping at the hands of a young Indian team in the third Test on Sunday, Ben Stokes once again aimed his frustration at the Decision Review System.

Stokes said he wants the Umpire's Call removed after opener Zak Crawley was given out LBW by DRS.

Crawley was given out lbw to Jasprit Bumrah on 11 on Day 4 after Umpire Kumar Dharmasena raised the finger when India appealed for a leg before.

The England opener reviewed the decision only to be declared out on Umpire's Call -- Ball Tracking showed the ball was missing the stumps.

Crawley was seen remonstrating with the umpire while walking back to the pavillion after his dismissal.

After the match, Stokes, alongside Head Coach Brendon McCullum, sought clarification from Match Referee Jeff Crowe.

'It (talking to the match referee) was just about Zak's DRS and he was just giving us some information about how it was judged to be given out when the ball wasn't hitting the stump on the replay,' Stokes told talkSPORT.

'The numbers said it was hitting the stump, but the image said it was wrong. The ball is quite clearly missing the stumps on the replay. So when it gets given umpire's call, and the ball's not actually hitting the stumps, we were a bit bemused. So, we just wanted some clarity from the Hawk-Eye guys,' he added.

'We've been on the wrong end of three umpire's calls this game and that is part of DRS. You're either on the right side or the wrong side. Unfortunately, we've been on the wrong side. I'm not saying and never will say that's the reason why we've lost this game, because 500 is a lot of runs,' the England captain said.

'I think you just want some kind of level playing field, I guess. I think the umpires have an incredibly hard job as it is, especially out in India when the ball's spinning and bouncing, and sometimes not.' Stokes said.

'My personal opinion is that if the ball's hitting the stumps, the ball's hitting the stumps. I think that should take away the umpire's call if I'm being perfectly honest. I don't want to get too much into it because then it sounds like we're moaning about that./

This wasn't the first time Crawley found himself on the wrong end of a tight DRS call, having experienced a similar situation in the previous Test. Stokes had then complained about DRS as well.

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