Pakistan anger over ‘inconsistent’ calls and technology ‘curse’

Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez has launched a blistering attack on the umpires and called for a review of the decision review system, slamming officials for their “inconsistent” calls and describing technology as a “curse on this beautiful game of cricket”.

In a fiery postscript to Australia’s series-sealing 79-run victory at the MCG, Hafeez said the tourists had been the better side and would have won if not for several line-ball calls that had fallen in Australia’s favour.

Pakistan were making a bold bid for an unlikely win until Mohammad Rizwan was controversially given out on referral when on 35, with 98 needed.

Rizwan was adamant he had been struck on the forearm, a view shared by field umpire Michael Gough, but TV umpire Richard Illingworth disagreed, ruling it had struck the wristband of his glove.

Illingworth said he had detected a HotSpot mark and a spike on Snicko as the ball passed the wristband.

An angry Hafeez said Rizwan, who had told him the ball had not touched “anywhere near the gloves”, should not have been given out as there was insufficient evidence to overturn the initial decision.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan leaves the ground after being given out.Credit: AP

“The umpire gave it not out, and there was no very conclusive kind of evidence where the decision has to be turned over,” Hafeez said. “So I don’t know how to say further than this. But this technology is basically putting the curse on this beautiful game of cricket. We need to address it very rightly.”

Australia captain Pat Cummins said he was adamant the right decision had been reached, saying the ball was “clearly off the glove strap”.

Pakistan also had four reviews turned down on umpire’s call, the two costliest coming in Australia’s second innings when Mitch Marsh was on 40 and Steve Smith on 25.

In both cases, the delivery was found to be clipping the stumps but because the initial decision was not out more than half the ball needed to be hitting for the decision to be overturned.

Pat Cummins appeals for an lbw decision on Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan during the fourth day at the MCG.Credit: AP

Marsh added another 56 runs, and Smith 25. Marsh had survived a simple chance from Abdullah Shafique when on 20.

“We made some mistakes as a team, we will take that, we will address those things but at the same time I believe inconsistent umpiring, technology curse, has really given us the result which should have been different,” Hafeez said.

“So I feel like these are the areas need to be addressed rightly.

“We play this beautiful game of cricket with a natural instinct, and we all know the basics of the game. But sometimes it seems like it’s a technology show.”

Cummins said that while technology was “not a perfect science”, he believed the decisions evened themselves out.

Hafeez also asserted Pakistan had been the better team across the four days.

“Our Pakistan team played better than the other team in general,” Hafeez said. “Our batting intent was better, our bowling was hitting in the right areas. Yes, we made some mistakes that we lost the game. But as a team I believe that there were a lot of right positives within the team to win the game.

“But unfortunately at the end we didn’t win the game.”

Coming off an Ashes series where England claimed to be the moral victors, Cummins refused to buy into the issue.

“It doesn’t really matter, it’s the team that wins in the end,” Cummins said.

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