Adrian Holdstock will umpire Australia’s second Test in West Indies despite howlers as TV umpire

A three-day opening Test in the West Indies was littered with controversial umpiring calls and the man in the hot seat now has a new role.

The TV umpire responsible for a series of first Test howlers that drew strong criticism from West Indies coach Darren Sammy will be standing on the field when Australia plays a maiden match in Grenada this week despite the outcry over his performance.

Adrian Holdstock earnt the ire of Sammy, who was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and handed a demerit point, after he questioned several decisions that went against his team in the opening Test loss in Barbados.

The Australians were on the positive end of most of Holdstock’s calls, including keeper Alex Carey, who had a diving catch given out despite it appearing, even to Carey, that it might have touched the ground.

But Carey said it had been a “really difficult shift in the third umpiring in what’s out and what’s not out” in the wake of the match and knowing Holdstock would now be on the field with English umpire Richard Kettleborough.

“I thought that was a pretty difficult game, to have five, six, seven 50-50 examples for the third umpire,” Carey said ahead of the second Test beginning on Thursday.

Alex Carey scooped up a few low catches in Barbados. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

“He’s not going to please everyone up there, but I thought he did a really good job. We obviously know the other side and the other camp was a little bit disappointed with some of them. I understand that.”

Sammy said the match officials admitted there were errors made during the first Test and while he had no intention of backing away from his comments in Barbados, the West Indies coach said he had now “left that behind”.

“I don’t hold grudges. I said what I said based on what I saw. I’ve been punished for it. I wish Adrian all the best, to be honest,” he said.

“I mean, we’re all human. I have nothing against the umpires. I really wish he has an awesome game.”

West Indies head coach Darren Sammy holds ‘no grudges’ with umpire Adrian Holdstock. Picture: Harry Trump/Getty Images

“I said I wouldn’t want my players to do that press conference because of the questions I think that would have been posted at them,” Sammy said.

“I strongly believed in what I said.

“We’ve had further chats (with the officials). They’ve clarified some stuff. There has been some admission of error as well. This was Barbados and we’re now in Grenada, so we’ve left that behind.”

Holdstock will stand with Kettleborough in Grenada and then with Nitin Menon in Jamaica in the third and final Test.

Australia has never played a Test match in Grenada, with the only previous matches at the National Stadium ODIs, the last of which was in 2008.

It will be the 78th different worldwide venue Australia has played a Test in.

Originally published as Adrian Holdstock will umpire Australia’s second Test in West Indies despite howlers as TV umpire