Umpires Joel Wilson and Chris Gaffaney have been sacked from officiating the remainder of the Ashes Tests. While some reports claim the decision has been taken on the back of their substandard performances in the first three Tests, some believe that the decision was in the pipeline even before the Ashes began.
In any case, both Wilson and Gaffaney have faced the wrath of the faithful after as many as 15 decisions went against them. While Wilson had eight decisions overturned by the Decision Review System (DRS) in the opening Test at Edgbaston, New Zealand’s Gaffaney was at the receiving end of seven faulty decisions in the third Test at Headingley.
The third Test also saw Wilson denying Nathan Lyon’s lbw appeal for Ben Stokes at a time when England needed just two runs to win with just one wicket intact. In all, there have been an estimated 50 decisions reviewed during the first three Tests, with 38% of them overturned.
Speaking of the DRS, even match-winner Ben Stokes wasn’t really amused by the decisions. "DRS has got that completely wrong," said Stokes.
"It flicked my front pad first and didn't spin. I thought as soon as it hit me it was sliding down. I still can't believe it was three reds."
In turn, the likes of Marais Erasmus and Ruchira Palliyaguruge will head to Old Trafford, Manchester, with Kumar Dharmasena being the third umpire. And while Erasmus will continue his role for the final Test, Palliyaguruge will swap his place with Dharmasena for the last Test.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk
