Daren Sammy Fined by ICC for Questioning Umpiring Decisions in West Indies-Australia Test

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West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for comments he made criticizing TV umpire Adrian Holdstock during the team's first Test match of 2025 against Australia in Barbados.

Sammy has been docked 15% of his match fee and received one demerit point for breaching the ICC's Code of Conduct. This is his first offence within a two-year span.

The ICC confirmed that Sammy violated Article 2.7 of its Code, which pertains to public criticism of match officials or opposition teams. The clause highlights that players and support staff will be penalized if they publicly denounce the decisions of umpires, with the seriousness of the comments and their context taken into consideration during disciplinary reviews.

The Test match was marred by several contentious calls, many of which were referred to the television umpire Holdstock. Two incidents in particular drew the ire of the West Indies camp. Shai Hope was adjudged caught behind despite video evidence suggesting the ball had touched the ground before being gathered by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Roston Chase's LBW dismissal to Pat Cummins was another moment that left the hosts frustrated. These dismissals, which came at crucial stages of the first innings with Hope on 48 and Chase on 44, were seen by the team as having a significant impact on the match's outcome. Australia eventually won the game by a convincing margin of 159 runs.

In his post-match press conference, Sammy did not mince words. He had earlier approached match referee Javagal Srinath seeking clarity on the decisions before going public. "Yeah, look, you don't want to get yourself in a situation where you're wondering about certain umpires. Is there something against this team?" Sammy said.

"But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question. I know he's here for the series. You don't want to go in a Test match having that doubt. So I want to have that conversation as to the process... so we could be all clear. Because, at the end of the day, you don't want to be going into a Test match not trusting the umpires. And that's not what our team is about. So we're just looking for some clarity as to the decisions," he added.

Following the game, Roston Chase echoed his coach's concerns, stating, "When players make mistakes, we're penalised. But umpires? There's no consequence."

The ICC's action underscores its zero-tolerance stance on public criticism of officials, even as debates continue around accountability in decision-making.