Gun-shy Australians reluctant to use DRS, and are made to pay
A FRANK Tim Paine has admitted Australia is “having a ’mare” when it comes to the decision review system, joking he will enrol in an umpiring course to correct it.
Australia has fallen foul of the system all series, frivolously burning reviews on speculative appeals while being left without a challenge when Nathan Lyon’s appeal for LBW of Ben Stokes was turned down at Headingley, allowing England to secure a famous one-wicket win.
But it has gone from triggerhappy to gun-shy — and been burnt badly.
Speaking candidly after a tough day in the field in which Australia twice had LBWs turned down that would have been overturned on review, Paine was out of answers as to where it has all gone wrong.
“I don’t know, mate, I’m getting it wrong. I don’t know what else to say. We’re having a ‘mare,” he said after being queried over his poor record this series.
“We’ve got it wrong, we’re not deliberately getting together and saying, ‘Gee I reckon that’s out ‘Gaz’ (Nathan Lyon), do you want to refer it? Nah, let’s let him keep batting’.
“We’re getting it wrong, it happens, it’s fast, it’s a tough job.”
On Saturday at the Oval, as England worked towards setting Australia a record run chase, Paine gave lives to Joe Denly (on 54) and Jos Buttler (on 18).
Both were given not out LBW to decisions that would have been overturned, and went on to score 94 and 47.
Denly, who was trapped in front by Mitchell Marsh, survived as umpire Marais Erasmus turned down the boisterous appeal.
“As a batter, when you get hit on the pad you have a feeling straightaway if it’s close, and I thought that was pretty close,” Denly said.
“Thankfully Marais didn’t put his finger up. (But) if he had given it out I probably would’ve reviewed it.”
For Buttler, it was Lyon who deserved the wicket but was denied by Kumar Dharmasena — though Paine was not pointing any fingers.
“As I’ve said throughout the whole Test series I’ve got a new respect for umpiring, particularly in Test cricket because it’s a bloody hard job,” he said.
“For years players whinged about umpiring and now we’ve got it in our hands a little bit and we’re finding that it’s hard.”
Paine even jokingly offered a radical plan to fix his DRS nightmare.
“I’m going to do some umpiring school when I get home, I’ll enrol in a level three umpires course and see if I can get them right,” he said with tongue in cheek.