1st Test: Bangladesh call for neutral umpires after South Africa controversy

Bangladesh called for the return of neutral umpires in international cricket after claiming "inconsistent" decisions put them at a disadvantage in the first Test against South Africa currently being played in Durban. Umpires from host countries have been used exclusively since 2020, when the pandemic imposed worldwide travel restrictions. South African umpires Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock are standing in the Durban Test, where Bangladesh have been on the wrong end of several close calls in the second innings.

Dean Elgar was given not out on the field by Erasmus in the fifth over after being hit on his back leg, but tracking technology showed the ball only clipping the stumps and so he survived by virtue of "umpire's call". Soon after they successfully overturned Holdstock's surprising not out lbw decision against Sarel Erwee which was shown to be plumb. Seven overs later Khaled Ahmed was denied an lbw decision against Keegan Petersen.

This time Bangladesh tried to preserve their dwindling quota of reviews and did not go upstairs. But replays showed it should have been given out. Elgar made 64 and Petersen 36 leaving Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud exasperated when he spoke to reporters after play.

"A few decisions went against us, which if they had come our way, we would have probably been chasing 180 runs instead of 270," he said. "We of course respect umpires... But to be frank, I saw such inconsistent umpiring after many days.