World Cup 2023: David Warner calls for more transparency from Hawk-Eye after frustration over umpiring

Veteran Australia opener David Warner has called for greater “accountability” from the Decision Review System (DRS) after being left “annoyed” and “frustrated” over his dismissal during the 2023 ICC World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Lucknow.

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Warner was trapped LBW by left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka in the fourth over of Australia’s chase of the 210. The 36-year-old went for the review, only for it to go in favour of the fielding side after HawkEye showed the ball to be clipping leg stump, leading to an ‘Umpire’s Call’ decision.

Warner, though, was visibly upset by the decision and left the ground fuming, hitting his pad with his bat in frustration and shout in the direction of on-field umpire Joel Wilson, who had initially ruled him out.

The southpaw felt what was shown on Hawk-Eye during the review did not line up with what was displayed on the giant screen at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.

“I asked Joel when I was out there just what happened, why did he give it out. He said the ball was swinging back so to his credit, if he thinks that then that’s why he’s given a decision,” Warner was quoted as saying according a report on cricket.com.au.

“But then when you see the replay of how it unfolded you get a little bit annoyed, (but) that’s out of our control.

“(The ball) kept low and normally when something hits me on the leg on the outside, I know it’s pretty much going down leg. So he (Wilson) said it was swinging back, (but) from my perspective on the replay, it wasn’t,” added Warner.

Warner also called for the proprietors of the Hawk-Eye technology to step forth and explain its workings to cricketers to help clear some of their confusion.

“I’ve never had Hawk-Eye come in and explain to us how the technology actually works, it’s just for the TV. If they could come in and explain to us how it works, then sometimes we might (choose) not to refer or to refer,” said Warner, who is appearing in his final ICC event.

Warner was also annoyed by how long it took for ball-tracking to load in the ongoing tournament compared to the time taken in matches back in Australia. He also wasn’t sure if the technology accounted for some of the finer details of a delivery, including late movement off the air.

“At the moment, we seem to be waiting for (ball-tracking),” said Warner. “And as a player you get more frustrated because you think: ‘did they line it up, what’s the impact points, how many impact points are there before it goes on’.

“In England, the ball bounces and it actually moves once it’s bounced, not just off the seam but in the air it can move, so there’s just little things that as a player you get frustrated because there’s no explanation … but there has to be some accountability,” added Warner.

Australia were in for a shoddy start after bowling Sri Lanka out for 209, losing both Warner as well as talismanic batter Steve Smith in the same over to be reduced to 24/2.

Opener Mitchell Marsh, though, would come to the Aussies’ rescue, scoring a half-century at more than run-a-ball and building important partnerships with Marnus Labuschagne (40) and Josh Inglis (58).

Eventually, it was left to the middle-order pair of Glenn Maxwell (31 not out) and Marcus Stoinis (20 not out) to guide Australia home to a five-wicket victory, helping them collect their first points of the ongoing tournament in the process.