Proteas shrug off umpires’ nightmarish display at Kingsmead: ‘Everybody is human’

Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)

Proteas team management shrugged off an indifferent performance from the two standing umpires, Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock, in the first Test against Bangladesh.
No less than 8 of their decisions have already been overturned on review at Kingsmead.
Erasmus’ showing in particular is under the spotlight as he’s the current ICC Umpire of the Year.

Proteas team management on Sunday shrugged off a mounting number of mistakes made by umpires Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock in the first Test against Bangladesh at Kingsmead, simply noting that “everyone’s human”.

By the end of the fourth day, the local duo had no less than eight of their combined decisions overturned by the decision review system (DRS).

Erasmus in particular has been scrutinised given that he’s made five of those wrong decisions and just a few months ago received the notable accolade of the ICC’s Umpire of the Year for 2021.

The list of “blunders”

MARAIS ERASMUS

– Lizaad Williams tries to flick and misses. He’s given out, but after ball tracking re-calibrates a strange initial decision, it’s shown that the ball pitched outside leg.

– Mushfiqur Rahim is strangled down leg by Simon Harmer and given out, but Ultra Edge shows no spike.

– Mushfiqur is involved in a carbon copy incident off the same bowler. This time he’s given not out, but the review shows there’s an edge.

– Litton Das apparently feathers one down leg and is given out. The replay shows the ball hit his thigh pad.

– Dean Elgar is struck fairly adjacently in front, but the finger stays down. DRS overturns the decision.

ADRIAN HOLDSTOCK

– Khaled Mahmud receives a vicious short one from Duanne Olivier. There’s a loud appeal, but he’s adjudged to have missed it. The replay shows glove was involved.

– Sarel Erwee initially survives a confident appeal for LBW, seemingly indicating that he hit the ball. Upon review there’s no spike present and he’s plumb in front.

– Kyle Verreynne is given out for a full-blooded sweep, but immediately goes upstairs. Ball tracking shows the delivery is missing leg by some distance.

Those glaring mishaps even led to Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s star all-rounder who’s had to return home due to various family medical emergencies, tweeting that the world governing body needs to resume appointing neutral umpires.

Currently, many bilateral series feature local arbiters because of Covid-19 considerations and logistics.

“I think it’s time for #Icc to back to neutral umpires as covid situation is ok in most cricket playing countries (sic),” Shakib wrote.

Yet, even though the South Africans had their fair share of reviewing to do, there were no concerns over Erasmus and Holdstock’s battles.

“Everybody’s human,” said Proteas batting consultant Justin Sammons.

“We know that the umpires have a good reputation and everybody in the changeroom respects that [they’re human and cane make errors].”

As a consequence, the hosts merely focuses on getting on with the job.

READ | Spin twins Harmer and Maharaj’s devastating burst caps off dramatic day with Proteas in control

“We just need to get back to our business, you know,” said Sammons.

“We need to control what’s in our hands and block out any of the situations that are uncontrollable. At the end of the day, umpiring decisions aren’t really in our hands. It’s really about us focusing on our play.”

Rubbing salt in the wound is that, along with the decisions that were overturned, there were three other incidents that the umpires missed that were subsequently shown to have been out.

Proteas No 3 Keegan Petersen survived an edge to the keeper and an LBW decision that weren’t referred in the first and second innings respectively, while off-spinner Simon Harmer was denied the wicket of Najmul Hossain Shanto in the Tigers’ second dig when an snick behind wasn’t sent to DRS.

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