Ashwin Questions Paul Reiffel’s Umpiring: ‘Always Thinks It’s Not Out When India Bowls’

During the third Test match against England, Indian off-spinner and former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin raised serious concerns about the umpiring of Australian official Paul Reiffel. Ashwin alleged that Reiffel appears to have a certain bias in his decisions involving India. He claimed that when India is bowling, Reiffel tends to rule batters not out, but when India is batting, he gives them out even on slight doubts.

Raised Objection on YouTube Channel

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “I want to speak to Paul Reiffel personally. I’m not saying he’s deliberately making wrong decisions, but when India bowls, he hesitates to give batters out. And when India bats, he sees every appeal as out. If this is happening not only against India but with all teams, then the ICC must seriously look into it.”

Controversial Decisions in the Lord’s Test

Some of the decisions during the third Test at Lord’s sparked significant controversy. One such moment was when Mohammed Siraj appealed for an LBW against Joe Root, which Reiffel turned down. India reviewed the decision, but Root survived due to umpire’s call on height, even though the ball looked plumb to the naked eye. In another instance, Shubman Gill was given caught behind despite there being a clear gap between bat and ball. The decision was overturned on review, but questions were raised on the original call.

Ashwin Mentions His Father’s Remark

Explaining the Gill incident in detail, Ashwin said, “There was so much distance between the bat and the ball that I could park my sedan in that gap. Still, he gave it out. My father told me, ‘Whenever Paul Reiffel is umpiring, India won’t win.’” He added that this was not the first time Reiffel’s decisions had been questioned.

Kumble Also Expresses Displeasure

Ashwin was not alone. Former Indian captain and veteran spinner Anil Kumble also criticized the standard of umpiring. Kumble said, “It feels like Paul Reiffel has already decided that in any close call, the batter won’t be out.” Commentators Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton also hinted that Reiffel didn’t give players enough time and could have shown more firmness in his decisions.

Debate on Impartiality of Decisions

This entire episode once again brings into question the impartiality of umpiring and the impact of DRS. While technology has brought more transparency to the game, the mindset and decisions of the umpires still significantly influence match outcomes.