'Cost them the match': Aussie legends slam Tim Paine over 'stupid' act

A number of Australia cricket greats have sunk the boot into Tim Paine after a horrendous blunder that cost the tourists the third Ashes Test.

Umpire Joel Wilson shocked Australia for a third-straight Test, however Paine only has himself to blame after wasting a review that would have retained the Ashes.

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Wilson shook his head as Australia went up in unison for a Nathan Lyon lbw shout in the penultimate over of the nerve-jangling third Test, at which point the tourists held a two-run lead.

Ball-tracking replays showed why, confirming Wilson erred and the on-field verdict could have been overturned on review.

However Paine had already burned Australia’s final review on a decision that couldn’t possibly have been out.

Pat Cummins was bowling over the wicket to No.11 batsman Jack Leach, the ball clearly pitching outside leg stump before striking him on the pad.

Former Test stars Ian Healy, Mark Taylor and Ian Chappell were highly critical.

“Paine burnt a review stupidly,” Healy said on Channel 9.

“That should have been given out lbw, there’s no doubt about that, but Australia and Tim Paine reviewed that (previous ball) for no reason, and its cost them the match.”

Chappell added: “When Leach got hit on the pad, clearly not out, by any stretch of the imagination, and the Australians reviewed it? That was the moment the situation got to them, and Tim Paine lost his brain.

“Everyone knows it’s way outside leg. Why would they go through with it?”

And Taylor was just as critical.

“I’ve said it before a number of times, you should never waste reviews,” Taylor said on Channel 9.

“You have to keep one (referral) in the bank for the ‘howler,’ and they (Australia) did not do that.”

Paine struggles to hide anger

Paine insisted Wilson's verdict, which comes after the Trinidadian's contentious ruling on a catch as third umpire at Lord's and some eight overturned decisions in the Edgbaston series opener, was "irrelevant".

But the keeper struggled to hide his disbelief, noting in a post-match interview with Nine that he "can't fathom why or how that wasn't given out".

"England had two referrals, so if it was given out the correct decision would have been made upstairs," Paine said.

The veteran then told reporters he "saw it live, that's all I needed to see".

"I don't want to watch that again," Paine said.

"To sit down and single out an umpire is unnecessary. He is no different to everyone else, he is allowed to make mistakes.

"I've got every review wrong, so I'm going to give up and give it to someone else."

Wilson's struggles in Birmingham led to calls for English and Australian umpires, who make up more than half of the elite panel, to adjudicate in the Ashes.

That debate will continue but Australia will review their reviews rather than focus on an umpire playing no further part in the five-Test series.

England were 2-140 when Paine referred an lbw shout from Lyon in an effort to dismiss Joe Denly, while they were eight runs short of victory when the desperate captain rolled the dice on an lbw appeal from Pat Cummins.

"Spur of the moment (decision) .... have a dabble at it," Paine recalled of his second review.

"I got it wrong."

Stokes suggested the drama "shows how crucial it is to make sure you use your reviews, when you get to a situation like that, you still need one.

"If they had one, they would have used it and ended up winning," the allrounder said.