Crowe Hopes To Retain Role

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Confusion marred the end of the match.

By David Clough, PA Sport, Bridgetown

World Cup final referee Jeff Crowe is hoping the "human error" which turned the end of the showpiece match into a farce does not amount to a resignation issue for him.

Crowe admitted on Saturday night that the responsibility lay with him for the confusion which led to Australia beating Sri Lanka and celebrating their third successive Cup crown twice over.

As the International Cricket Council's referee, under the latest constitutional changes from on high he is the man who must be accountable for any referred decisions.

The former New Zealand Test batsman did not dodge that fact as he explained what had gone wrong in the rain-reduced 38-overs-per-side match at Kensington Oval.

"Effectively what goes on in that dressing room and what went on out there is my responsibility," he confirmed.

Crowe reported that the voices of both on-field umpires Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar - as well as third official Rudi Koertzen and even the fourth, Billy Bowden - were heard before players from both teams were mistakenly informed that if they did not return from a break for bad light to play three remaining overs they would have to resume on the reserve day instead.

Because 20 overs of the second innings had already been completed, the match was over - with no need or provision for using the second day.

With near darkness fast gathering, Sri Lanka - who eventually lost by 53 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis system - had already accepted there was no longer any way they could win.

Captains Ricky Ponting and Mahela Jayawardene therefore agreed to bowl only slow bowlers and pat back the ball, before Australia were declared winners for a second and final time.

After a presentation ceremony in which a full-house crowd booed match and ICC officials for their perceived part in such an unsatisfactory ending, Crowe did not seek to explain away his and his colleagues' errors.

"I'm very embarrassed for the playing control team. It's our mistake," he said.

"These circumstances are very difficult, and it is a bit of a crisis.

"We hope we can learn from this mistake and get it right. They are quite confusing issues to get right, but what we must make sure we do is look at the black print which says the game is over when the 20 overs have been completed.

"We got our minds clouded over that whole simple issue. It was some voices reiterating when the end of the match was, that tomorrow was the way forward - and that was incorrect."

Crowe, who appeared to confirm Koertzen's erroneous confidence that the match could conclude on the reserve day was the catalyst for the confusion, was taken aback at any suggestion he himself could end up the fall guy.

"A resignation issue? I'll have to talk with my superiors on that. But I hope not," he said.

"It was a great thrill to be selected for this event.

"I guess you're always accountable at the end off the day - and I'm the manager of the PCT."

As for the uncertainty which took over among the officials, Crowe recalled: "There were a lot of voices heard throughout that session about what was the right technical decision; the two on-field umpires are in control of the match, but the third umpire has an influence as well.

"Rudi was certainly involved in the process, as were Aleem and Steve.

"Rudi might have suggested it early, but that doesn't mean the other umpires couldn't have overruled him.

Rudi is a South African, so he does have a little stronger voice than the others.

"He was talking about the possibility of tomorrow. Steve Bucknor heard the same information, and he knows the rules - and so does Aleem Dar.

"I don't think it's Rudi's mistake - I think it's a collective mistake. I don't think we should just pinpoint one or two."

Crowe accepts, however, that in the final analysis the faulty decision to bring the players back on was down to him.

"We had the third umpire who has his rule book beside him doing all the calculations. There are a lot of components to the team, but at the end of the day I should have known what was happening," he acknowledged.

"In all hindsight, I should have known the rules and said the game had been called off."

Global television audiences were told by broadcasters that Australia had won the Cup - yet minutes later witnessed both teams coming out again.

"The scoreboard had put it up, and I guess the problem was we hadn't had contact with them; they just assumed too that was the result," Crowe added.

"For me the real confusion has come from the fact we were talking about resuming the game tomorrow - which was technically and very wrong.

"It's a human error, I guess.

"Sometimes you get a stronger voice which says 'I know the rules - this is how it works'.

"Then you get a bit of confusion in the group itself, and no one wants to overrule the other.

"The match referee should have known and said 'that's not right - the game should be completed now'."

The mis-conceptions among the officials were in stark contrast to the well-placed confidence of both captains that they had a good grasp of the rules.

"It appeared we had a premature celebration there for about 10 minutes," said Ponting.

"When Aleem came over I actually thought he was having a bit of a joke with us to try and stop our celebrations or something.

"When he said he might have to come back tomorrow and play three overs all the guys stopped and looked at him.

"I tried to explain we'd played the 20 overs and concluded the game.

"But it was quite a nice gesture from the Sri Lankans to face those three overs out and save us coming back tomorrow and give us an opportunity to celebrate long and hard tonight.

"I guess it's a little bit of a disappointing way to end a World Cup."