Umpiring errors add to Pakistan’s woes

Rex Clementine
reporting from Galle

There was absolute lack of fight by Pakistan’s batsmen, but the umpiring errors added to their misery, as the tourists headed for a heavy defeat in the first Test against Sri Lanka, here at the Galle International Stadium, on Sunday.

At one point it looked as if ex-English international Ian Gould and Australian Steve Davies were competing for an award for the most dubious umpiring decisions in a game, as Pakistan suffered most. There were at least 11 dubious decisions given with eight of those going against Pakistan, while three went against Sri Lanka.

After dismissing Pakistan for 100 runs in the first innings, their second lowest against Sri Lanka, the hosts refrained from enforcing the follow-on and batted for a little over a session. Tillekeratne Dilshan, who smashed his 13th Test hundred in the first innings, was amongst the runs again as he smashed 56 runs off 58 balls, with the help of nine fours.

He added 85 runs for the first wicket with Tharanga Paranavithana and both batsmen fell to dubious decisions. However, Dilshan had been given not out when he gloved an Ajmal delivery to wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, when on 44.

Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 137, with a lead of 509 and Nuwan Kulasekara was spot on with the new ball dismissing both openers. Like Rangana Herath, he too has been outstanding against Pakistan, and now has 24 wickets at 15:62.

Herath had Azhar Ali caught at second slip by Thilan Samaraweera to reduce Pakistan to 25 for three, and with two more days left and 474 runs behind, Pakistan will be hoping for lots of rain to save this game.

Pakistan were looking up to former captain Younis Khan to get them out of trouble in the morning and together with Mohammad Ayub, Younis was showing resistance. But that stand ended after 21 runs when Younis was declared leg before wicket to Rangana Herath, despite getting a thick inside edge.

So many of those umpiring errors could have been avoided if the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) was in place, but the cash-strapped Sri Lanka cricket board opted against using the costly device that’s required to have the UDRS going, much to displeasure of the tourists.

The only positive for Pakistan during the day was the way Junaid Khan bowled in Sri Lanka’s second innings. The left-arm seamer bowled 12 overs on the trot, and finished with three for 44.

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