Prince EWS
Global Moderator
I can't believe we're even entertaining the discussion that bad luck with umpiring is any more than exactly that. The only other explanation is match fixing.
Bias against lower-ranked sides is an absurd theory that tends to pop up in lots of sports discussion. I have no time for it whatsoever. Bad decisions against such teams just seem more prominent in our minds because they tend to hurt them more. If McGrath gets denied a plumb lbw appeal, we're unlikely to remember it for all that long because he'll get the bloke out soon anyway and his team will probably win, rendering it unimportant. If a worse bowler from a worse side is denied then it sticks in the mind more because the batsman may go on to make a huge score in lieu of other good bowling and the bowler's side is likely to lose and have its fans lament that moment that could've turned the game.
I've got no problem with saying a team was unlucky over [X period] because, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't always even itself out. But bad luck is just bad luck; there's no conspiracy or ingrained bias across an entire elite panel of umpires. The fact that we're discussing it at all doesn't really say much for the thread.
Bias against lower-ranked sides is an absurd theory that tends to pop up in lots of sports discussion. I have no time for it whatsoever. Bad decisions against such teams just seem more prominent in our minds because they tend to hurt them more. If McGrath gets denied a plumb lbw appeal, we're unlikely to remember it for all that long because he'll get the bloke out soon anyway and his team will probably win, rendering it unimportant. If a worse bowler from a worse side is denied then it sticks in the mind more because the batsman may go on to make a huge score in lieu of other good bowling and the bowler's side is likely to lose and have its fans lament that moment that could've turned the game.
I've got no problem with saying a team was unlucky over [X period] because, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't always even itself out. But bad luck is just bad luck; there's no conspiracy or ingrained bias across an entire elite panel of umpires. The fact that we're discussing it at all doesn't really say much for the thread.