Broad and `muppet’ Panesar launch verbal assault on umpires

Trinidad (West Indies), Mar. 9 : England's frustration against the West Indies in the ongoing Fifth Test here, was summed up by withering verbal assaults about the pitch and umpires by all-rounder Stuart Broad and left arm spinner Monty Panesar.

Describing the playing surfaces in the West Indies as `terrible' after another barren day in which just three wickets fell in the Fifth Test, The Sun quoted Broad as saying: "It was a frustrating day. We bowled well as a unit and a few chances didn't go to hand and there were a few poor umpiring decisions."

"I think the wickets have been terrible. It is not a fair battle between bat and ball. But it's probably our fault for being rolled over for 51 in Jamaica - they've produced flat wickets after that. It is disheartening for bowlers but it's the way Test cricket is going. I can't wait to bowl at home again," he added.

In all, 27 wickets have fallen in the last eight days', and to add to England's frustrations, left arm spinner Monty Panesar was ordered to calm down. He received an official warning from umpire Russell Tiffin for excessive appealing and showing dissent.

Panesar was unable to control his emotions after Tiffin turned down a string of appeals and his captain Andrew Strauss dropped a catch off his bowling. He was going bananas at times and waving and leaping around like a demented performing seal, reports The Sun.

Strauss needed to intervene and tell Panesar to stop behaving like a muppet. As much as anything, his antics seemed to be persuading Tiffin not to raise his finger.

Panesar was sledging, too, which didn't sit easily with a man who normally doesn't say boo. Putting on his angriest face, he attacked the lugholes of West Indies debutant Lendl Simmons.

On day three of the Fifth Test, West Indies finished on 349-4 having avoided the follow-on. They trail England by 197 runs.

One wicket was Ramnaresh Sarwan, who had scored 598 runs in his four previous innings in the series. This time he was lbw for 10 - and gave Kent quickie Amjad Khan a memorable first Test wicket. (ANI)