West Indies head coach Daren Sammy says he has “left Barbados behind” after match officials acknowledged mistakes during last week’s opening Test. The former captain was fined 15% of his match fee and received a demerit point for publicly questioning third umpire Adrian Holdstock, whose calls went against Roston Chase and Shai Hope. Holdstock now moves from the television box to on-field duty for Thursday’s second Test in Grenada.
“I said I wouldn’t want my players to do that press conference because of the questions I think that would have been posted at them,” Sammy recalled, still sounding frustrated yet determined to move on. “I strongly believed in what I said.”
The 40-year-old met with match officials after the Barbados Test. “We’ve had further chats,” he explained. “They’ve clarified some stuff. There has been some admission of error as well. This was Barbados and we’re now in Grenada, so we’ve left that behind.”
Pressed on whether he regretted singling out Holdstock, Sammy was measured. “I don’t hold grudges. I said what I said, based on what I saw. I’ve been punished for it. I wish Adrian all the best, to be honest. I mean, we’re all human. I have nothing against the umpires. I really wish he has an awesome game.”
Chase, whose lbw dismissal sparked much of the furore, criticised the decision immediately after the match but avoided an ICC sanction. The episode highlighted ongoing frustration in the Caribbean camp over recent officiating—concerns Sammy hinted at during the England tour earlier this year. Yet with the series level and two Tests left, neither coach nor players want lingering resentment to cloud preparations.
Australia have stayed clear of the politics, although wicketkeeper Alex Carey conceded his side benefited from close calls in Barbados. The most contentious involved his diving catch to remove Hope, who was 48 not out and batting for the first time in a Test since 2022.
“I thought it was out straightaway, yes,” Carey said. “I wasn’t confident it was going to stay out when I saw the replay, to be honest. It’s been a really difficult shift in the third umpiring in what’s out and what’s not out. Your opinion is different to my opinion.”
The South Australian accepted the workload on Holdstock was heavy. “I thought that was a pretty difficult game, to have five, six, seven, 50-50 examples for the third umpire. He’s not going to please everyone up there, but I thought he did a really good job. We obviously know the other side and the other camp was a little bit disappointed with some of them. I understand that.”
Reflecting on his catch, Carey added: “But I did think it was out. I never thought I fumbled the ball or had any reason to question the decision. It was a pleasing one to take. A good batter as well, who was scoring some runs.”
Holdstock will stand alongside Richard Kettleborough at the National Cricket Stadium. Kettleborough’s 93rd Test takes him past the late David Shepherd as England’s most-experienced Test umpire—an understated milestone that might have slipped under the radar had the wider officiating debate not flared.
For West Indies, the bigger priority is reversing form after the 10-wicket defeat in Barbados. Their spinners bowled tidily yet lacked penetration, while the top order, Hope aside, managed only fleeting resistance. Sammy has hinted at changes but remains coy on specifics, mindful of a surface traditionally slower and offering more turn than Kensington Oval.
Australia, meanwhile, are considering whether to retain the extra seamer Beau Webster or recall an all-round option, with Mitchell Marsh recovering from a minor ankle niggle. Pat Cummins praised his bowlers’ discipline in Bridgetown but warned against complacency, noting that Grenada’s pitch can “flatten out quickly” once the shine disappears from the new ball.
A change of venue, a fresh slate. Sammy’s message is direct: park the grievances, play the cricket. Whether calm heads prevail could determine the direction of a series that, despite the early noise, remains finely poised.
