JAMAICA'S cricket coach, Robert Haynes, yesterday described the quality of umpiring in the final of the Carib Beer International Series, which ended on Sunday, as "disgraceful" and called on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to act urgently to lift the standard of cricket officiating in the region.
Barbados won the final by 84 runs after Jamaica faltered badly on the last two days, having dominated the first two.
Haynes, who was speaking shortly after he and his team arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport from Barbados, noted that the errors by umpires, Basil Morgan and Glenroy Johnson, worked against both teams.
But he argued that the umpiring blunders "changed the complexion of the game" at crucial stages.
"We need to look at the umpiring in West Indies cricket ... I think in the final it was "disgraceful," said Haynes.
The Jamaica coach noted that at the presentation ceremony following the game, home supporters actually booed the two umpires as they were called up for their match awards.
"It was very sad that we should be seeing that in first-class cricket," he said.
"For the development of cricket, we need better umpires at the first-class level in the region, and the West Indies Board needs to take another look at this issue," said Haynes.
The former West Indies leg-spinner sought to play down what was generally perceived as a protest by Jamaica captain, Chris Gayle, following what was considered a particularly glaring error.
After umpire Morgan rejected an appeal against Barbados' second innings hero, Floyd Reifer, off the bowling of pacer, Andrew Richardson, Gayle stood on the pitch for an extraordinarily long time.
But while conceding that Gayle was "upset", Haynes argued that the Jamaica captain was in fact trying to calm his players when he took up position on the pitch.
"Reifer was out caught and the umpire didn't give him out. Chris Gayle walked to the middle ... just to calm the players down. He didn't lose control, he was just calming the players down.
"But he was upset also because ... Richardson had bowled such a lovely ball to get Reifer out and the umpire said he didn't see ...," said Haynes. (Jamaica Observer)