Cricket: Fuming Pakistan coach slams DRS absence

GALLE: Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore on Sunday slammed the absence of the Decision Review System (DRS) in the series against Sri Lanka after his team suffered several umpiring errors in the first Test.

The Test has been marred by at least 10 contentious decisions over three days by umpires Steve Davis of Australia and Ian Gould of England, with six of them going against the tourists.

But the DRS, which allows players to appeal for reviews by the television umpire, is not being used in this series reportedly due to cost factors.

Whatmore, a former Sri Lankan coach, said he was surprised the DRS was not available for the series when it was used for Sri Lanka's two home Tests against England in March and April.

"They had it for England, so why not here?" Whatmore, who guided Sri Lanka to the World Cup title in 1996, asked reporters after the third day's play.

"It does not seem right to me that you have it for one series and not for another.

"The DRS should be made compulsory for every series. That will go a long way in helping a lot of things -- anything that will help make correct decisions."

Asked if Pakistan will make an official complaint about the two on-field umpires,  Whatmore said he would not make a public comment on it.

"Whatever I need to say will be done through official channels," he said.

"There will be a fair bit to say, but I can't make any public comment. We will do it the right way. We have ways of communicating with those who matter."

Whatmore said he was trying his best to boost the morale of his players amid the umpiring controversy.

"We just make it known to the players that it is out of our control and they need to do what they have to do," he said. "We just try to make the most of it."

Pakistan were facing certain defeat in the first match of the three-Test series after being reduced to 36-3 in their second innings while chasing a victory target of 510.

The International Cricket Council, which had earlier said the DRS was mandatory for all series, changed its stance last year and made it optional following objections from India.