R Ashwin Slams Umpiring At Lord's: 'Whenever Paul Reiffel Comes, India Won't Win'

R Ashwin Slams Umpiring At Lord's: 'Whenever Paul Reiffel Comes, India Won't Win'

Curated By :

News18.com

Last Updated: July 14, 2025, 17:49 IST

Ravichandran Ashwin criticized Australian umpire Paul Reiffel for alleged bias against India in the Lord's Test, urging the ICC to investigate consistent unfavorable decisions.

Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned umpire Paul Reiffel's intergrity. (PC: AP, X)

Ravichandran Ashwin has criticized Australian umpire Paul Reiffel, subtly accusing him of professional bias against India in the ongoing Lord’s Test against England under the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He blamed him for always giving 50-50 calls out when India are batting and the opposite when they are bowling, urging the International Cricket Council (ICC) to investigate and determine if other teams are facing the same thing.

Recommended Stories Ashwin is not the first to criticise Reiffel for his officiating in this Test. It has been all over social media since the first day, and after he gave Shubman Gill out for caught behind (the decision was overturned by DRS because there was at least an inch-big gap between the bat and ball), pundits have joined in too. Anil Kumble even said on air on Sunday that Reiffel had ‘decided’ that any close call by Indian bowlers will be given not-out.

“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’.

“If it’s not against India but against all teams, then ICC has to look towards it," he added… 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,'" he added.

top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all

Although some feel that the advent of the Decision Review System (DRS) has culled the powers of on-field umpires, close decisions like many at Lord’s show it’s not the case. Because the DRS system for LBW has a scope for umpire’s call — where the on-field decision is considered when the tech can’t convincingly determine a LBW — their decisions matter immensely when a game is close.

Reiffel, 59, has officiated 111 Tests, 159 ODIs and 50 T20Is in his career, which began in 2008.

view comments

First Published: July 14, 2025, 17:49 IST

News cricket R Ashwin Slams Umpiring At Lord's: 'Whenever Paul Reiffel Comes, India Won't Win'

Click here to read article