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R Ashwin tears into Paul Reiffel, urges ICC to take action: 'Whenever India bats, he feels everything's out'
Ashwin slammed Paul Reiffel, saying that whenever India bats, the on-field umpire feels everything is out, but the same is not the case when India is bowling.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin didn't hold back as he slammed on-field umpire Paul Reiffel for his on-field calls during the Lord's Test between India and England. Reiffel has been at the centre of a huge controversy after he turned down Mohammed Siraj's LBW appeal against Joe Root. Reiffel did not raise his finger, and India opted to go for a review. However, replays showed that the ball would have hit the leg stump, but the former England captain survived owing to the umpire's call.
This led to Siraj giving Reiffel an angry stare. Former India Test captain Anil Kumble also stated on air that it seems that the former Australian cricketer has decided not to raise his finger whenever there is a close call.
Reiffel then raised his finger to give India captain Shubman Gill out after England appealed loudly for a caught-behind off the bowling of Brydon Carse. However, replays showed that the ball was nowhere close to Gill's bat, and the Indian captain got a lifeline. However, he was unable to make the most of the reprieve as he lost his wicket to Carse some overs later.
“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," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
Also Read: IND vs ENG Live Score: Jofra Archer rips through Rishabh Pant, sends his off stump flying
"If it’s not against India but against all teams, then ICC has to look towards it,” he added.
‘My father was watching the match’
Ashwin also spoke about Shubman Gill's caught behind verdict, saying there was a huge gap between bat and ball, and hence, he couldn't believe why Reiffel felt the need to raise his finger.
“I own a car, a sedan, which I can park through the gap between the bat and ball. It’s clear it was not out. But this is not the first time. My father was watching the match with me," said Ashwin.
"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 firmer with players taking time,” he added.
Ashwin is not the first one to criticise Reiffel as earlier the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Jonathan Trott and Anil Kumble called out the Australian for not giving Root out on the field.
The Lord's Test hangs in the balance between India and England and both teams have a realistic chance of going 2-1 up. The final day started on the worst note possible as Rishabh Pant lost his wicket off the bowling of Jofra Archer.
