By IANS
New Delhi : The Indian media Monday lambasted umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson for their incompetence and erroneous umpiring that cost India the second Test match against Australia in Sydney Sunday. The three-match ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh and the un-sportsmanlike behaviour of the Australian cricketers were also criticised sharply.
The leading dailies of the country were up in arms and adjudged both Bucknor and Benson as the Man of the Match, as their wrong decisions cost India the match by 122 runs. The umpires made at least nine glaring errors – eight against India. The events that shocked millions in the cricket-crazy nation occupied the front page in most newspapers.
The Indian Express had a seven-column headline: “Team India c Benson b Bucknor”.
“Umpires beat India,” was the lead headline in the Hindustan Times, which went on to say: “Double whammy for horrific umpiring, unfair racism charge traumatise team.”
The Times of India said: “Those who pick the Man of the Match are allowed to consider only the 22 men in white, who actually play the Test match. That’s the sole reason why Mark Benson, Steve Bucknor or B.N.J. Oxenford, three umpires officiating in the Sydney Test were not in the running for the award.”
Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones was also vociferous and in his column in the Times of India said: “Men in white should retire at 60,” referring to the umpires in white coats.
The Australian cricket team and match referee Mike Proctor of South Africa were not spared either as Harbhajan Singh was handed out a three Test ban for allegedly hurling racist abuse at Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds.
The match referee went on record saying that the on-field umpires didn’t hear anything. But he still handed out a three-match ban to the Indian off-spinner reportedly on the basis of the statements of two Australian players, Mathew Hayden and Michael Clarke.
“The Australians, incidentally, couldn’t produce any audio-evidence to establish their allegation. However, Symonds and Co. charged that Harbhajan had said the same thing during the Mumbai ODI in mid-October,” said The Telegraph newspaper, based in Kolkata.