Umpire Accountability Demanded After West Indies' Test Loss: Captain Chase Voices Concerns

West Indies Captain Roston Chase Demands Umpire Accountability After Test Defeat

Roston Chase, the captain of the West Indies, is advocating for increased responsibility among match officials following his team's 159-run loss to Australia in the first Test match held in Barbados. Chase voiced his concerns regarding a series of controversial umpiring decisions that he believes negatively impacted his team's performance.

Chase said his team had done well to dismiss Australia for 180 but were then undermined by a series of contentious umpiring calls. © AFP

Chase expressed his frustration, stating, "It's frustrating because as players, when we mess up or we do stuff that people don't like, we're penalised harshly, but the officials, nothing ever happens to them. They just have a wrong decision or questionable decision and life just goes on. So, it's a bit unfair in my estimation."

He further emphasized the potential impact on players' careers, saying, "You're talking about guys' careers. One bad decision could make or break a guy's career. I just think that it should be an even playground in terms of when players step out of line, they're penalised. I think that there should be some penalty put in place when you have blatant decisions going against you."

Key Moments Affected by Umpiring Decisions

Chase highlighted that his team performed well in dismissing Australia for 180 runs but felt that subsequent umpiring errors hindered their progress. During the West Indies' first innings, two significant wickets fell due to contentious decisions:

• Chase himself was given out lbw.
• Shai Hope was adjudged caught behind.

"This game is a frustrating one for me and for the team because we bowled out Australia for a relatively low score. We were very happy with that, but then there were so many questionable calls in the game and none of them went our way," Chase lamented. "I mean, as a player, you're out there, you're giving your all, you're fighting. And then nothing is going your way. It could be heartbreaking."

Chase elaborated on how these decisions disrupted the team's momentum: "You see what set batters can do on the wicket. The wicket is one where once you get in, you can get runs, but the hardest part is to get in. Me and Shai Hope were going well and then, obviously, we had some questionable calls. That really set us back in terms of creating a big lead on the total that Australia set."

In closing, Chase asserted, "It's clear to see anyone would feel bad or feel hurt about those decisions. You're out there playing to win, giving it your all and it seems like everyone is against you."

Earlier, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy had also raised concerns regarding the consistency of TV umpire Adrian Holdstock.