Ashwin slams Reiffel’s ‘biased’ umpiring at Lords
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has criticized umpire Paul Reiffel over officiating incidents in the Lord’s Test, which is poised on a knife’s edge heading into the final day on Monday. R Ashwin has called out Reiffel’s umpiring by pointing out some of the decisions that went against India. “My experience with Paul Reiffel… I want to talk to him. I am not saying that I should tell him to give it out. It’s not like that. Whenever India bowls, he always feels it’s not out. Whenever India bats, he always feels it’s out. If it’s not against India but against all teams, then ICC has to look into it,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat. Apart from Gill’s decision, Ashwin also talked about another decision involving an Indian batter, where there was a wide gap between the bat and ball, which the DRS showed, after Reiffel had given it out. 14 wickets fell on the fourth day of the third Test between India and England, with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy currently deadlocked at 1-1. There were also a few contentious decisions. “I own a car, a sedan, which I can park through the gap between the bat and ball. It was not out. But this is not the first time. My father was watching the match with me. And he told me, ‘Whenever Paul Reiffel comes, India will not win.’ Even Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain said the umpires could have acted a bit steadier with players taking time,” Ashwin added. Reiffel turned down Mohammad Siraj’s LBW appeal against England batter Joe Root. The DRS appeal showed that the ball would have hit the leg stump, but Root was handed a lifeline due to the umpire’s call. That incident became a flashpoint for the day, with Siraj throwing an angry stare at the umpire. Reiffel had also given India captain Shubman Gill out on a full-length ball from Brydon Carse, which flew to the wicket-keeper. DRS showed that the ball did not hit the Indian captain’s bat. Ashwin is not the only one to be left irked at the decisions. Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar also expressed his shock on air in commentary at the decision not being given.
Ashwin backs Bumrah and Jadeja for India’s Test captaincy role
Shubman Gill might be the frontrunner to succeed Rohit Sharma as India’s next Test captain. However, R. Ashwin feels that other experienced names such as Jasprit Bumrah and Rabindra Jadeja should not be overlooked for the role. The India squad for their five-Test series against England, which begins on 20th June, could be picked at the end of this month, and the run-up to the selection process is dominated by the talks around the possible new captain. “First of all, everyone is saying that Gill is the captain. Everyone is going in that direction. But there is a loud option in Jasprit Bumrah, and why do we forget about Ravindra Jadeja,” Ashwin said during a chat with former Tamil Nadu opener Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan on his YouTube channel. “If you are willing to go for a new person as captain, I would say why not make him [Gill] an understudy of an experienced guy for two years before handing him the job on a full-time basis.” After Rohit and Virat Kohli retired from Tests, Jadeja is the most experienced player in the Indian side with 3370 runs and 323 wickets from 80 Tests. He, however, does not have any captaincy experience in Test cricket, while Bumrah has also led India in only three Tests, most recently in the first and last Tests of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. “I would say, why not get all three to four candidates and make them do a presentation and ask them each to detail the vision for the team,” Ashwin said. “It happens in countries like Australia. Why won’t we go down that road?” Ashwin, who retired from all forms of cricket after the third BGT Test late last year, said Bumrah too should be considered seriously, and his recent back injury should not be a hindrance. “Look at Pat Cummins, he also had a back stress fracture, but he is now captaining Australia in Tests and ODIs,” Ashwin said. “Like that, Bumrah is our national treasure, and he should be in the discussion. “He should be asked, will you be able to play five Tests? Can you be a full-time captain? I know he had a stress fracture, but I am sure he will think about it. I think the hat with his name should be number one in that ring.”
