"Mediocrity has become the norm in umpiring," declared a member of the Indian team. His reaction came after wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel was reported to match referee Ranjan Madugalle by umpires Steve Bucknor and Simon Taufel at the end of Day 2 in the second Test between India and Pakistan at Lahore.
The Indian camp is apparently upset about the numerous appeals that were turned down by the two umpires.
"How can you report a fielder for appealing and then showing his disappointment at a decision that is clearly wrong. The nick was so loud, even cover and mid-on heard it," said a member of the Indian team.
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The umpires were miffed with Patel's vociferous appeal for a caught behind decision against Yousuf Youhana off Anil Kumble's bowling. When Taufel turned down the appeal, Patel made no secret of his displeasure.
"Youhana nicked the hell out of that. Even he knew that he had nicked it big time," explained the player.
The players feel West Indian umpire Bucknor is against them because of the negative comments Sourav Ganguly is said to have made in his captain's report after the Sydney Test in January this year.
"This is clearly a bullying tactic to attack a player at the slightest inclination," said another senior member of the team, adding credit must be given to English umpire David Shepherd "for giving some good decisions" in the last Test in Multan.
"Bucknor has been doing this for a long time and then hiding behind the ICC [International Cricket Council]. Take a look at the number of decisions that went against Anil Kumble; it's simply amazing!
"Simon Taufel is having a bad Test. If the Tendulkar dismissal yesterday was disappointing, he [Taufel] was shocking all day today," the player added.
In Australia, during the VB Series, the Indian team management had lodged a protest against Bucknor for his "unbecoming conduct" during the day-night game against Australia in Sydney.
Bucknor had rolled his fingers over the ball when Dravid arrived in to bat, in an obvious reference to an incident from the previous game when the Indian vice-captain was fined 50 per cent of his match fees for getting a little of a boiled sweet on the ball in contravention of the rules.
The insinuation was blatant, but ICC Match Referee Clive Lloyd did not do much about the report except file it away.
"Look at the Sydney Test, he turned down appeals against Justin Langer and Damien Martyn on the last day. Those were plumb leg-before decisions," said the team member.
Taufel had admitted earlier during the series about the noise levels in Pakistan stadiums. He told the Sydney Morning Herald, "That makes umpiring bloody difficult, especially when it comes to caught-behinds and communicating with other officials. It's nothing you could ever train for. It's very hard when you have one of your senses, hearing, taken away from you."
A Pakistani journalist revealed that the Pakistan team management did not lodge any complaint against Taufel despite many decisions going against them in the Multan Test.
To which an Indian player shot back: "Doesn't it seem like a bit of smart gamesmanship to float a rumour like that?"
