England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has issued an official statement after England players’ including captain Joe Root on-field behavior with the umpires made headlines across social media on Day 1 of the ongoing day-night Test against India in Ahmadabad.
On Wednesday, February 24, Root along with Stuart Broad and James Anderson were seen arguing with the on-field umpire Anil Chaudhary and match referee Javagal Srinath after the third-umpire gave Shubman Gill not out after he was caught by Ben Stokes off Stuart Broad's bowling in the 2nd session.
Stokes claimed an apparent catch that was not taken cleanly, but later the replay showed that the ball had touched the ground as the all-rounder was attempting to catch the ball and Gill got a lifeline, which left England players furious with some senior players had a heated argument with the match officials.
Following the drama, the England team was trolling for the same and even Root was criticized for his animated behavior on the field towards the match officials at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Well now, the ECB has released an official statement regarding the matter to clarify that Root and head coach Chris Silverwood were just asking for the umpiring “consistency” in the ongoing day-night Test against India.
The ECB also said the match referee Srinath also told them he was “asking the right questions” of the on-field officials on Day 1 of the pink ball Test in Ahmedabad.
ECB spokesperson said in a statement: “The England captain and head coach spoke with the match referee after play. The captain and head coach acknowledged the challenges the umpires faced and asked respectfully that in making any decisions there was consistency in the process. The match referee said the captain was asking the right questions of the umpires.”
Meanwhile, England’s frustration was clearly seen in Zak Crawley’s post-play press conference. He was the top-scorer for England in the first innings in the day-night Test against India with an 84-ball 53 knock.
Crawley signed off by saying, “When we batted, Jack had one where it didn’t quite carry and it seemed like they looked at it from five or six different angles. When we were fielding it seemed like they looked at it from one angle. That’s where the frustrations lie. I can’t say whether they were out or not out, but I think the frustrations lie with not checking more thoroughly.”
(With PTI Inputs)
