In the first test played in Barbados, the West Indies had to face defeat by 159 runs by Australia. But after the match, West Indies captain Roston Chase openly questioned the umpiring and expressed his displeasure. He even said that just like players are punished for their mistakes, action should also be taken on umpires's mistakes.
On the second day of the match, West Indies coach Darren Sammy met match referee Javagal Srinath and talked about 'equal strictness' in umpiring. He said that there should not be a one-sided attitude in decisions. But what happened on the third and fourth days disappointed the West Indies even more.
CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS
In this match, two big decisions went against West Indies. First, Roston Chase was given out LBW, while it was clearly visible in the replay that the inside edge of the bat could have hit the ball. Then Shai Hope was caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey, but questions were raised on whether the catch was taken properly in the replay. Before this, Travis Head also took a catch on the first day, which seemed to be in favor of the West Indies, but the decision went in favor of Australia.
After the match ended, Chase told the media,
"It was very disappointing. We had restricted Australia to a low score. We were happy that the match was in our control. But then many wrong decisions were made on the field, and everything went against us. Players work hard with all their heart, and when everything goes wrong, it breaks the heart."
Chase said,
"I and Shai Hope were batting well, but then those strange decisions were made, and we could not take the lead over Australia. Sometimes it seems as if everyone is against us."
Demand for accountability on the umpire
Chase did not stop here. He further said,
"If a player makes a mistake, he is fined; he can even be banned. But nothing happens if an umpire makes a mistake. His one mistake can end a player's career. Therefore, the umpire should also be held accountable."
However, it is believed that the ICC can take action against Roston Chase and coach Darren Sammy for publicly criticizing the match officials. Usually, such comments about umpires are considered serious.
After this defeat, the pressure on the West Indies team has increased. Now they have to make a comeback in the three-match series. But it remains to be seen whether the captain and coach's statements have an adverse effect on them or the team comes back stronger.