Cricket Memories

Why umpires favor Australian cricket team - 5 possible reasons

2008-01-06T20:17:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Australia beat India in the second test cricket match to equal the world record set by Steve Waugh's team for the highest number (16) of consecutive test wins. However, this test match will be known more for the horrible mistakes the umpires did rather than for equaling the world record. There were mistakes from start to end at crucial points in the game and almost all were given in favor of the home team. All decisions had a crucial impact on the final result of the game.

Was it just India's bad luck? Was it just a coincidence that not one, not two, not even three, but about half a dozen crucial decisions went against India at most crucial times or is there something sinister?

This is not the first time this has happened in matches involving Australia and this is not the first time this question has been raised. In 2005, when Pakistan played Australia, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said "close decisions 'went 29-5 against us" - cricinfo.

What really is happening here. This is an attempt to analyze this from a neutral point of view:

Reason 1: Umpires are also human.There will be odd mistakes, but eventually they even out.

This is obvious. Umpires, who are also human beings, do make mistakes. However, it does not explain why all the mistakes help one team only. If this happened in only one series in Australia, this theory may be believable. However, this has been a fact rather than the exception with international cricket matches in Australia in recent years.

Probability of this being the reason: 1/5

Reason 2: Match fixing.

Match fixing has happened in cricket and there are a few infamous incidents. However, all these cases involved players and not umpires. There is no evidence to suggest that umpires are involved in match fixing. Although we cannot eliminate this reason, it's extremely unlikely that it is the cause of what we see happen in Australia.

Probability of this being the reason: 0/5

Reason 3: Pressure from crowd and media

Umpires no doubt must face the pressure from the host country's crowds and media. This is true for any umpire anywhere in the world. Imagine the pressure on an umpire who's required to make a tight decision concerning a local favorite player in front of 50000 fans. Who will get the benefit of the doubt? The batsman or the local player? This may have played a part in what happens in Australia. However why only Australia? Why not in India or Pakistan? Where the crowds are more passionate about the game?

Probability of this being the reason: 1/5

Reason 4: Umpires having personal grudges against certain teams

There's a lot of discussion in forums on this topic following what happened in Australia as one of the umpires is believed to have given a lot of bad decisions against Indian (and sub continent) teams. We cannot completely eliminate this reason. However, in this age where umpires are under the microscope more than ever in history, they will be putting their careers in jeopardy, if they give way to personal grudges when making decisions in the middle.

Probability of this being the reason: 1/5

Reason 5: Umpires' minds being manipulated by the body language of the Australian cricketers

Australian cricket teams are well known for mind games. They are mentally strong and play with the minds of the opposing players. They're the masters of sledging and no one can match them. There's no doubt that their mind games have contributed to their success. However, have they also started systematically playing with the umpires' minds? Can any other reason explain what happened yesterday at Sydney? Did the Australian players created an environment in which they made the umpires make decisions in their favor?

Bob Woolmer believed this happens with Australian players.

"Woolmer said Australia were very good at appealing, and that the adjudicators had pressure applied from the players and the crowd. "Umpires are not cheats," he told the newspaper. "I would never accuse them of that. The way the Australians appeal and the way the crowd supports them creates subconscious pressure on umpires and it shows. People can say an umpire gives a decision on what he sees rather than the appeals, but I disagree. The appeal is very much a part of it. It is a very fine line.

Woolmer said he was looking at ways to improve Pakistan's appealing. "Even if that means training at it," he said. "Maybe we need to appeal only when we are certain it is out and appeal very strongly. There are also ways of conducting yourself when you are batting to get the message across to an umpire that an appeal against you is not out. We must look at that as well." - cricinfo

All this was seen yesterday at Sydney. Michael Clarke probably overdid the acting when he stood ground after being caught at slip and Ponting's appeal for a catch where the ball clearly hit the ground is another indicator of this.

Can all these be random behavior or is manipulating umpires' minds, a part of their secret strategy? Only time will tell but there will no doubt be more scrutiny following yesterday's infamous match.

Probability of this being the reason: 4/5

Cricket World Cup

2008-01-01T15:30:00.001-08:00

The cricket world cup which started in 1975, has to date come a long way. We've seen 9 world cups in total. This blog attempts to take you back in time to the glory of past world cups.

Image of 2007 world cup uploaded to Flickr on March 20, 2007 by caribbeancricket under license

1 - 1975, England - How it all started

Cricket World Cup 1975 - Part II

2008-01-01T14:44:00.001-08:00

1st Semi Final - Australia vs. England

Cricket's traditional rivalry between the Australia cricket team and the England cricket team was on display in the first semi final at Headingly. Australia won the toss and put England in. Gary Gilmour (6/14), with his left arm in-swingers troubled the England top order from the start. With the help of Max Walker (3/22), Gilmour helped Australia bundle out the England team for only 93 in 36.2 overs.

In their reply, Australia did not find it easy against Chris Old and John Snow. They lost 6/39 before an unbeaten 55 run partnership between Doug Walters and Gilmore made sure that Australia made it to the finals.

The cricket match scores

Cricket World Cup 1975 - Part I

2007-12-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

Background

It was the era of great West Indian teams, tearaway pace bowling of Lillee and Thomson, but more importantly it was an era of change in cricket. The new format of one day cricket was yet to become popular. There had been only 18 one day internationals before. It was a time to explore new exciting possibilities.

8 teams from West Indies, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and East Africa had joined the hosts England in June 1975 in what would be the first cricket world cup.

It was a tournament of a mere 15 matches where the format was so simple: Eight teams divided into two groups of four each with the top two teams of each group progressing to semi-finals. The star studded West Indies boosting big names of the likes of: Lloyd, Fredericks, Gibbs, Kallicharran, Kanhai, Richards, and Roberts were the firm favorites. Only Australia, England, and New Zealand were expected to provide any challenge to the Windies.

The Cricket World Cup gets underway
It was the very first match of cricket world cup history. However, it became well know not for that fact but for something else. England batted first and scored 334 for 4 in 60 overs with Dennis Ammis scoring 137. What happened afterwards, is history. India simply gave up without an attempt to go after the target and just used the overs for batting practice with Gavaskar batting through the 60 overs for 36 not out. India ended with 132 for 3 in 60 overs. Gavaskar later admitted that this was his "worst innings ever".

Favorites Through to the Semis
Although the world cup had its infamous start, the rest of the matches produced some exciting cricket. The top teams progressed as expected but West Indies received a real scare in their match against Pakistan at Edgebaston.

West Indies vs. Pakistan
Pakistan playing without their captain Asif Iqbal was led by Majid Khan. Batting first, Pakistan put an impressive score of 266/7 in 60 overs. West Indies got on to a disastrous start losing Grinidge for 4 with the score at 6. Fredericks, Kallicharan, Kanhai, and Richards did not last long against Pakistan bowling led by Safraz Nawaz and the score read 99/5. A half century by their captain Clive Lloyd took West Indies closer to the score but at 203 for 9, the writing was on the wall for West Indies. Then came a spirited fight back by the last pair, Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts which took West Indies closer to the target and gave them a glimpse of an unlikely victory. The pair hung on and brought the West Indies to the brink of victory. Needing 5 runs to win in the last over, Andy Roberts was facing Wasim Raja. Roberts attempted a pull off the first ball and missed. Second ball, with the help of a missed runout attempt brought 2 runs. A flick to the leg brought 2 more runs to Roberts and West Indies and tied the scores. Roberts took a single off the fourth ball to seal one of the most unlikely victories in World Cup history. This match may have given a little hope to other teams by showing that West Indies are after all human and can be defeated.

Watch Video - West Indian Innings

Watch Video - The Finish

West Indies vs. Australia
Having had a narrow escape against Pakistan, the West Indies then hammered Australia by seven wickets at the Oval to make a statement that the previous match was just a small hiccup in their march towards the world cup. Alvin Kallicharan led the way with 78 which included brutal attack on Dennis Lillee.

Watch Video - Kallicharan destroys Lillee

Next - First Semi Final

Garfield Sobers, cricket's greatest all rounder

2007-12-17T21:58:00.000-08:00

Sir Garfield Sobers is without a doubt the greatest all rounder cricket ever saw. In 93 cricket tests, he scored 8032 runs at an average of 57.78 with a highest score of 365 which was a then world record. He also took 235 test wickets at an average of 34.03. He bowled different styles - fast-medium, slow orthodox, and chinaman were part of his repertoire.

See profile in cricinfo

Watch videos of Sobers in action

Hitting Six Sixes
(254) Australia vs. World XI, 1971-72
150 v England Lords 1973

Great Cricketers

2007-12-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

Sir Donald Bradman
Sir Garfield Sobers

Bradman, the greatest batsman cricket ever saw

2007-12-14T23:04:00.001-08:00

6996 in 80 innings in 52 test cricket matches, at an average of 99.94 with 29 centuries and 13 half centuries is a record that may never be broken. Sir Donald Bradman is without a doubt the greatest batsman cricket ever saw.

See him in action on video

The Bodyline Cricket Series

2007-12-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

Background of the Bodyline Test Cricket Series

December 2, 1932 saw the start of arguably the most discussed test cricket series in the history of test cricket. MCC team led by Douglas Jardine, toured Austraia to fight for the ashes which they
lost in 1930. In 1930 Donald Bradman had scored, 254 at lords, 309 in a single day at Leeds on the way to 334, and 232 in the final test and ended the series with 974 runs at an amazing average of 139.14 giving Australia a series win. If England were to regain the Ashes they had to stop Bradman. Not many people would have guessed what length they would go to achieve that.

England resorted to the so-called leg theory or bodyline as it was later known, where they positioned all fielders on the leg side and bowled at the batsmen's head. At an age where no one used protective gear this made it almost impossible to bat without getting hurt.

First Test Cricket Match (Sydney)
At the absence of Bradman, McCabe scored 187 not out in the first innings fearlessly attacking balls heading toward his head, but England won by 10 wickets.
Scoreboard

Second Test Cricket Match (Melbourne)
Bradman returned and is bowled for a duck with the first ball. In the second innings, Bradman hits the first ball for a four and starts attacking. He scores an unbeaten 103 and Australia wins the test by 111 runs. Has Bradman tamed bodyline?
Scoreboard

Third Test Cricket Match (Adelaide)
The third test cricket match turned out to be the most infamous of them all. Australian captain Woodfull gets struck on the chest and W.A.S. Oldfield fractures his skull. England goes on to win by 338 runs.
Scoreboard

Fourth Test Cricket Match (Brisbane)
England wins by 6 wickets.
Scoreboard

Fifth Test Cricket Match (Sydney)
England wins by 8 wickets.
Scoreboard

England wins the series 4-1 and Bradman ends up with a (poor) average of 56 for the series.

Watch Video of Test Cricket Series Highlights
Watch Video

Watch More Videos
Another summary

Australia's Cricket Tour of Sri Lanka 1983

2007-12-09T15:58:00.001-08:00

Australia's first ever test tour of Sri Lanka was in 1983 where they played a one-off test match at the picturesque Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy.

Sri Lanka went into the test match with a lead of 2-0 in the one day series which took a break for the test match.

Scoreboard:
Australia 514/4 dec
Sri Lanka 271 & 205

Australia won by an innings and 38 runs

Match Summary

Note that those were the days when they used to have a rest day in a the middle of a test match. Those are the luxuries modern day cricketers do not have.

Tour Directory

Watch video highlights from the first day.

The last 2 one day matches ended in no result, giving Sri Lanka a series win.