Clarke says 'relations fine' between players, umpires despite Ashes howlers

Australian captain Michael Clarke has insisted that the relations between the players and the match officials are 'fine', despite the repeated howlers from umpires that have marred the ongoing Ashes series.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the final day of the drawn third Test, which handed England the Ashes urn for the third series running, saw more uproar concerning the controversial Decision Review System (DRS) after England's Kevin Pietersen was dismissed caught behind for eight on Monday morning.

The report further said that Pietersen was furious when Kumar Dharmasena, the third umpire, endorsed Tony Hill's original decision, and appeared to let Hill know just what he thought of it given that the Hot Spot did not show up his alleged edge to Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin off the bowling of Peter Siddle.

Although Clarke himself had vehemently opposed the umpires' decision to leave the ground for bad light on Sunday afternoon, he, however said that players and umpires were still on good terms, saying that any frustrations that arose in the Test is a part of the game.

According to Clarke, every player, whatever team he plays in, wants a decision to go his way, although he called for respecting the final decision.

The report further said that more questions arose on the DRS and the regulations governing the umpires' interpretation of it, when England batsman Jonathan Trott was cleared of an LBW appeal and the subsequent review made by Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris on Monday morning.

Although Harris was confused as to how Trott had escaped in the first place when the ball thudded on the pad as came across his crease, however, the report added that because of the margin of error built into the rules, Hill's initial not out decision was not overturned by Dharmasena because not enough of the ball was to have taken the stump.