WI vs AUS: West Indies coach meets match referee Javagal Srinath over umpiring controversy in ongoing first Test between West Indies and Australia

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has raised serious concerns over the performance of TV umpire Adrian Holdstock during the first Test against Australia in Barbados. Following a series of controversial decisions on Day 2, Sammy reportedly met with match referee Javagal Srinath seeking clarity on multiple calls that went against the West Indies. He also recalled similar frustrations with Holdstock's officiating during the recent ODI series in England, where the South African served as TV umpire twice and stood on-field in another game.

Two incidents in particular left the West Indies camp dismayed. The first involved the dismissal of captain Roston Chase, adjudged lbw to Pat Cummins despite what Sammy and the team believed was a clear inside edge. The second was the decision to give Shai Hope out caught behind off Beau Webster, a catch ruled clean upon review by the third umpire. Sammy, frustrated, said, "We are just trying to find some sort of understanding as to what the process is... We only hope for consistency. That’s all we could ask for. When there is doubt in something, just be consistent across the board."

Sammy didn’t mince words, stating that doubts about this particular umpire's consistency began during the England series. "Yeah, look, you don't want to get yourself in a situation where you're wondering about certain umpires. Is there something against this team? But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question," he said. "So I want to have that conversation as to the process... so we could all be clear. Because, at the end of the day, you don’t want to be going into a Test match not trusting the umpires."

Sammy seeks clarity amid growing frustration

While Sammy stopped short of confirming whether a formal complaint would be filed, he admitted to having questions. "You'll have to wait and see for that," he said when asked about lodging an official protest. Speaking specifically about Chase's dismissal, which broke a 67-run partnership with Hope, he added, "In our opinion, we saw the ball deviate onto the pad." On Hope's catch, Sammy referenced a similar incident from the previous day, when a catch taken by Hope to dismiss Travis Head was ruled not to have carried. "I'm just saying, judge what you see," Sammy remarked. "Again, I don't know what he's seen, but from the images that we've seen, the decisions are not fair enough for both teams. I just want fairness."

Sammy reportedly met with match referee Javagal Srinath after the day's play to seek clarification regarding multiple decisions that didn't go in the West Indies' favour.#WIvsAUShttps://t.co/f4VeMvn1IX

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Australia, too, shared some of the unease. On Day 2, they had an lbw review against Chase turned down due to “insufficient evidence,” despite replays suggesting a pad-first impact. Mitchell Starc voiced doubts about the syncing of visuals and audio. "As players, you can only ask a question. We don't use the technology to make that decision... it sort of felt like, or looked like, the Snicko and the images were out of sync," he said. Sammy, aware of the boundaries when commenting on officials, had already instructed his players not to speak publicly. "We know the rules. We know fines are going all across the board... but look at the Test match (us) against our own selves, some of these decisions, and we're still in a position to win," he added.