ICC executive board meeting

ICC looks to trial player referrals system

Cricinfo staff

March 19, 2008

	If the ICC's proposed move takes effect, the South Africa team could well be challenging the on-field umpires' decisions during the upcoming Test series in England © Getty Images

The ICC announced the England-South Africa series later this year could see the trial of a system where players can refer on-field decisions to the third umpire. However, the approval of both the ECB and Cricket South Africa would be required for the system to take effect.

Currently, only the on-field umpires can decide whether a decision needs to be passed on to the third umpire.

The plan to trial increased use of technology comes after Steve Bucknor, one of the most experienced umpires, was sacked from officiating in the third Test of the India-Australia series earlier this year, following complaints from India.

Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach, and the MCC World Cricket Committee are among those advocating the use of a 'challenge' system similar to that used in American football and tennis in cricket.

While the ICC said it has yet to work out the details of the referral system, a similar experiment in English domestic one-day cricket last season, where two appeals against umpiring decisions are allowed per innings by both the fielding and batting side, was widely regarded as unsuccessful, with the third umpire generally reluctant to over-rule his colleagues out in the middle.

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