Australia vs West Indies Test: Travis Head controversy proves cricket must scrap umpire’s call | Comment

The West Indies could have had an unlikely shot at victory in Adelaide had cricket’s jumbled rule book not pulled the carpet out from underneath them, writes BEN HORNE.

The West Indies might have been half a shot at a remarkable victory in Adelaide had cricket’s jumbled rule book not pulled the carpet from underneath them.

Josh Hazlewood’s magic aside, make no mistake, the turning point of the first Test came in the second last over before lunch, when Travis Head was out lbw, but ultimately not out at the same time.

Head was 37 when DRS showed the ball was clipping his leg stump – but by less than 50 per cent – so he survived to make a stunning 119 which proved the difference between the Windies’ potentially taking a first innings lead, and eventually giving up a 95-run deficit.

Of course, the officials did nothing wrong and simply enforced the umpire’s call rule as it is written.

But at what point is cricket going to actually back in its technology, scrap the umpire’s call and say if the ball is hitting the stumps, you are out?

Instead of getting out for 37, Travis Head stayed in to crack 119 runs, denying the West Indies any real shot at a remarkable victory. Picture: Getty Images

It was Shane Warne’s biggest bugbear as a commentator.

Warnie would scratch his head and say; ‘how do you have two different decisions for the same ball?’

Mark Waugh echoed Warne’s attitude on Fox Cricket after Head’s reprieve against Kemar Roach: “If that’s given out (on-field) it stays out.”

Yet because the on-field umpire said not out, it can’t be overturned.

The ICC argues umpire’s call is to allow for the potential error of the technology being a frame or two out of sync.

But surely you either trust the accuracy of the technology entirely, or just don’t use it at all?

If the ball is hitting the stumps, it’s hitting the stumps, stuff what the percentage is.

“Call me a bowler but I’m giving that out,” Kerry O’Keeffe said of Head’s lucky break.

“I’m taking umpire’s call out of it. If it’s hitting the stumps, it’s hitting the stumps. You’re out lbw, mate, on your bike.”

While the Windies collapse made the Head call irrelevant, the question remains … when is cricket actually going to back its technology and scrap the umpires call rule? Picture: Getty Images

Hazlewood’s destruction of the Windies’ top order made the Head call somewhat irrelevant in the final wash-up.

But at the time, it was a massive break for Australia who would have gone six wickets down, still 50 runs behind.

“If that’s given out and the review says it’s hitting, they’re 6-138. West Indies potentially lead on the first innings and Australia has to bat last in the match. It’s a big moment,” O’Keeffe said on Fox.

Umpire’s call is such a convoluted and flawed part of the game that the decision review system can show a batsman to be out, yet not by enough to be given out.

Try explaining the logic of that to a newcomer. Only in cricket could this happen.

It’s about time the ICC’s rule makers called for a review themselves.

Originally published as Australia vs West Indies Test: Travis Head controversy proves cricket must scrap umpire’s call | Comment