INDIA: CRICET - India officials call on ICC to take action on umpiring; thousands protest

Record ID: 1390911

  • Title: INDIA: CRICET - India officials call on ICC to take action on umpiring; thousands protest
  • Date: 8th January 2008
  • Summary: (SP01) VARANASI (JANUARY 06, 2008) (ANI) SMALL GROUP OF PROTESTORS MARCHING HOLDING EFFIGIES OF UMPIRES PROTESTORS SHOUTING SLOGANS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) RAVI KANT VISHWAKARMA, ANOTHER CRICKET FAN, SAYING: "I accept that Steve Bucknor can give wrong decision once, but he has been deliberately taking wrong decisions for some time, which has hurt cricket lovers' sentiments." E
  • Embargoed: 23rd January 2008 09:29
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVAEXQBOJCUBO3U749RSITBZOP1J
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Indian cricket officials call on the sport's world governing body to ban umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson from officiating in the rest of the series for their handling of the second test against Australia as fans across the country join the protest.
    Indian cricket officials called on the sport's world governing body to ban umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson from officiating in the rest of the series for their handling of the second test against Australia as small groups of Indian fans across the country joined the protest on Sunday (January 6).
    India lost the match by 122 runs after their celebrated batting lineup collapsed on the last day at the Sydney Cricket Ground but the tourists said the umpires were to blame for the result.

    "You see, that complaints are only made when things go beyond limits. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) took strong notice of decisions taken against Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly in today's match and decided to write to the ICC (International Cricket Council) voicing complaints against the two umpires," said Rajiv Shukla, vice president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in the national capital New Delhi.
    The five-day match was dogged by a series of umpiring blunders that re-ignited the debate about whether the match officials should be allowed to make greater use of technology to ensure they make the right decisions.
    Both teams were adversely affected by wrong calls but the most significant occurred on the first day when Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was given not out by West Indian umpire Bucknor when the player edged a catch behind.
    Symonds, who later admitted he had nicked the ball, was on 30 at the time but went on to make another 132 runs to finish unbeaten on 162.
    Cricket fans around the nation joined the board officials in protest and burnt effigies of the two umpires.
    Protestors in eastern Patna city blamed the two umpires for the Indian defeat at the hands of the mighty Australians.

    "Team India has been defeated deliberately by umpires Steve Bucknor and Benson, and for this we have burnt the effigies of the two umpires," said Rakesh Kumar, a cricket fan.
    Fans in northern Varanasi also joined the protest.

    "I accept that Steve Bucknor can give wrong decision once, but he has been deliberately taking wrong decisions for some time, which has hurt cricket lovers' sentiments," said Ravi Kant Vishwakarma, another cricket fan.
    In another major development India spinner Harbhajan Singh was banned for three test matches on Sunday for racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the second test.
    The ICC match referee Mike Proctor upheld the charge after a hearing in Sydney. Harbhajan had denied he racially abused Symonds.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register