WI Board file complaint

BRIDGETOWN: The West Indies Cricket Board filed a formal complaint yesterday with the International Cricket Council about the quality of umpires referring to the recent series in Australia, the board said. It wasn’t an action the board would normally take, but they decided there were too many questionable calls that needed to be reviewed, said Zorol Barthley, WICB chief operations officer.  The West Indies lost all three Test matches on the tour. “We have expressed our concerns to the ICC over the standard of decision making by the umpires in the recently concluded series,” said a statement issued by the board.   The board also asked the ICC to complete a video assessment of the umpires’ decisions.

On Thursday, ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said that the sport’s world governing body was looking at increasing the number of umpires in the top-tier “elite panel” from seven to nine or ten. Speed indicated the work load of the umpires was tremendous. “The (WICB) board is aware that the overall standard of umpiring has improved with the introduction of the elite panel ... and for this reason is disappointed that the decision making during the series appeared to be below the normally high standard expected of the elite panel,” the board said.   The West Indies team left Australia yesterday and is expected back home today.

Corey Collymore, who successfully underwent an operation in Melbourne on Thursday to remove a bone spur in his right knee will arrive in Barbados later in the week. “I am very happy that I underwent the operation now because it is the best option for my future,” Collymore said from Melbourne, where he is spending a few days in recovery. “I am even happier that the operation went as planned and it turned out successfully. “It will be sometime before I get back into action, but I will be doing all that is necessary to ensure that I return to playing cricket as soon as I can.” Collymore is expected to miss out on West Indies’ next assignment when they visit New Zealand next February. (AP)