Following England’s humiliating defeat in the Rajkot Test, Ben Stokes has demanded for ‘Umpire’s Call’ to be removed from the DRS system.
England’s Baz-ball style of play has come into question after the defeat with many calling for a change in the team’s approach. And now, Stokes has sparked a new debate by demanding the removal of ‘Umpire’s Call’ from the DRS system.
Opener Jack Crowley was dismissed by the umpires on the fourth day. Then there was the ‘umpire’s call’. After this decision, Ben Stokes said, ‘Not one or two, but three wrong decisions went against England. Every team should get an equal opportunity and the decision should be complete.’
Speaking to the media after the match, England captain Ben Stokes said, ‘I think the umpires’ job is very difficult. But, some obscure procedures need to be cleared up. There were three ‘umpire’s call’ decisions in this match and all of them went against us. It is a part of DRS. This advantage is beneficial for one team and disadvantageous for another. Unfortunately, all these decisions were against us. Equal opportunity should be given. The job of umpires is tough. When the ball takes more spin on Indian pitches, the job of umpires becomes more challenging.’
My personal opinion is, ‘When the ball is hitting the stumps it means the ball is hitting the stumps. The system of ‘umpire’s call’ needs to be removed. I don’t want to get into it too much. Ben Stokes said that people will think we are losing because we are demanding this.
