West Indies Captain Chase Demands Umpire Accountability After Test Defeat to Australia

Chase Demands Umpire Accountability Following West Indies' Test Loss to Australia

Roston Chase, the West Indies captain, is advocating for increased accountability among match officials after his team's 159-run defeat against Australia in the first Test match held in Barbados. Chase voiced his concerns regarding several contentious umpiring decisions that he believes negatively impacted the West Indies' performance.

Roston Chase felt the umpiring decisions significantly hurt the West Indies' chances. © 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 of these decisions on players' careers: "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."

Chase acknowledged his team's effort in dismissing Australia for a modest 180 but lamented that their progress was hampered by the controversial calls. He highlighted two specific instances during the West Indies' first innings: his own lbw dismissal and Shai Hope's caught behind decision, both of which he deemed questionable.

"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 explained. "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."

He elaborated on how these decisions disrupted the team's momentum. "You see what set batters can do on the wicket," Chase continued. "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."

Chase concluded, "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."

Daren Sammy, the West Indies head coach, had previously raised concerns about the consistency of TV umpire Adrian Holdstock.