How the umpires have fared despite double DRS drama

Umpire Joel Wilson came under the pump from Pakistan legend Wasim Akram amid a wretched start to the Boxing Day Test for the on-field officials.

Wilson, who controversially gave Ben Stokes not out at Headingley in the 2019 Ashes, was shown up by Mitchell Marsh twice in as many balls early on the second day.

First, Marsh was spared what appeared to be a plumb lbw verdict to Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali by a faint inside edge that the batter himself did not appear to be aware of given he did not instantly call for the review. “A really tough decision for Joel Wilson,” Simon Taufel told Channel Seven on Wednesday. “A thin inside edge, a clear mark, a clear spot on hotspot, so that is conclusive.”

Next delivery, Pakistan’s vociferous appeal convinced Wilson to adjudge Marsh caught behind only for the Australian to immediately send the decision to the video umpire.

The ball had flicked the top of Marsh’s front pad, then deflected off the thigh guard on his back leg.

Akram was not impressed.

“Joel Wilson having a shocker in my opinion,” he said on Fox Cricket.

“This was hitting outside the line, the height was in question. Everything was wrong with that decision.

Umpires Joel Wilson (left) and Michael Gough.Credit: Getty Images

“This time, he [Marsh] went for it straight away because he knew he hadn’t edged it. There were two sounds, but it was pad and pad - not bat and bat.

“Joel Wilson, for some odd reason, said yes a second time. Maybe this is a quieter ground. He probably heard two sounds.

“Sometimes, I wonder if umpires can worry too much about the previous ball.”

It continued a trying first half to the Test for officials Wilson and Michael Gough, who together at one stage had just a 20 per cent success rate against the players with four of five reviews overturned by technology.

Gough was found to have erred in his only decision that was reviewed, while Wilson had three of four overturned to that point. The top umpires generally have about 80 per cent of their decisions upheld by DRS, according to research from ESPNCricinfo.

Wilson later made a good decision in Pakistan’s innings when a challenge for an lbw by Pat Cummins to a ball that had hit above Imam-ul-Haq’s knee roll was found to have been going over the stumps.

He is coming off a strong game in Perth when technology upheld seven out of eight reviews on his decisions.

Wilson made headlines during the 2019 Ashes when he had eight decisions overturned in the Edgbaston Test. He also incorrectly gave Stokes not out lbw to Lyon during the frantic finish at Headingley later that series. Australia could not challenge that verdict as captain Tim Paine had exhausted his reviews.

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