- David Warner wants referees to be held accountable
- He was the victim of a controversial call against Sri Lanka
- Warner says referee statistics should be made public
David Warner has called for greater accountability for cricket umpires following his controversial dismissal at the World Cup.
The experienced opener, 36, was left fuming after being conceded LBW during Australia’s second-innings chase against Sri Lanka on Monday.
Warner was hit on the pad by left-arm seamer Dilsan Madushanka, but he was sure the ball went past his leg stump.
Joel Wilson released him and he immediately reviewed the decision, but the hawk-eye technology ruled that the ball deflected off leg stump, so Wilson’s call followed.
Warner was visibly upset by the decision and let out a shout of frustration before reluctantly removing himself from the field.
David Warner has called for a radical change in cricket umpiring
The 36-year-old was left fuming after being awarded LBW
“I just squirted out loud in frustration,” Warner thought.
“Normally, if something hits me on the outside of my leg, I know it’s pretty much going down my leg.
“I asked Joel when I was there, what happened, like, why did he spend it? He said the ball swung back.
“From my perspective on the replay, that wasn’t the case. When you see on the replay how it has developed, you get a little irritated.’
Warner has now put forward the idea of umpires’ statistics being displayed on the big screens in the same way as cricketers’ figures.
“Player stats go up on the board as you go to bat,” he said.
‘When they announce the referees, I would also like to see their statistics on the board. The NRL does it. I think the NFL does it. It is also wonderful to see for the spectators.’
The 36-year-old added that he has learned which referees are more likely to make the 50-50 calls.
“You definitely know which referees are going to give that 50-50 when it comes down the stretch, and that’s where it gets frustrating from my perspective,” he said.
‘There is no prejudice in anything. It’s just that as a player you sometimes feel that.
‘There has to be some responsibility.
“If you make a wrong decision, just accept it and apologize.
‘Players don’t bite your head off. Referees won’t bite you if you ask them the question. They are generally quite honest.
Warner believes referees should be held accountable for their decisions
“You see it at the bunker in the NRL. You get absolute stinkers and some referees don’t referee the next game.’
‘I think about a certain period. You know, obviously players get dropped because of poor performance. We are also never explained what happens to the panel (of referees). So (statistics are) just an indicator.
‘But it’s just little things that show the spectator that it’s not easy. So you know, you can explain where it’s not easy, why it’s not easy. And when good decisions are made, they can explain it.
“So I just think it’s something that can be explored.”