ADELAIDE — The influential World Cricket Committee has proposed a change to the Decision Review System (DRS), the law-making Marylebone Cricket Club said Friday.
The group, featuring some of the biggest names in world cricket including former Australia captains Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara, is an independent body funded by the MCC, who are the acknowledged guardians of the laws and spirit of the game.
International Cricket Council Chief Executive David Richardson who is also a committee member, said the governing body is paying close attention to the ideas of the MCC think-tank.
The committee met in Adelaide ahead of the inaugural day-night Test, discussing many topics including the contentious DRS.
“There should be no loss of a review for the fielding side if the ball is shown to be clipping the stumps in the umpire’s call zone,” the committee said in a statement.
“This could then allow the removal of the reallocation of two reviews after 80 overs.”
The issue was highlighted in last week’s second trans-Tasman Test in Perth when New Zealand used its final review to refer a confident leg before wicket appeal on day one.
Ball-tracking technology suggested it was hitting the top of middle stump.
But with just under 50 percent of the ball predicted to hit the wicket, the verdict was deemed the umpire’s call and New Zealand lost the remaining challenge.
The MCC group hoped an upcoming Massachusetts Institute of Technology report on the accuracy of DRS technologies would convince skeptical India to finally embrace the system.
The think-tank was also impressed by a report from former Test umpire Simon Taufel on technology designed to allow the third umpire to monitor no-balls.
“A fast, automated system for the calling of front-foot no-balls would be a welcome enhancement to the game,” the committee said.
The committee also expressed concern about the lack of balance between bat and ball and the fact home advantage carries too much significance in Test cricket. The group, a long-time supporter of day-night Tests, suggested a wider process was required to help boost interest in Test cricket.
“Other factors to be considered include the quality of pitches, marketing, ticket pricing, access for children, spectator experience and finding ways of making sure that each country’s best players are available,” the committee noted.
Toss change; Helmets must
English cricket will break with tradition and scrap the mandatory coin toss before matches in its domestic league in a radical move starting next season.
The England and Wales Cricket Board says that, for 2016, the visiting captain will have the option of choosing to bowl first. If he takes that option, the toss will be unnecessary. If he declines, the toss will take place.
The aim is to encourage county sides to produce better pitches for four-day matches and ones that don’t favor the home team. Another objective is to help England produce more spin bowlers, with matches more likely to last the four days if there are better pitches.
Helmets will be compulsory from next season for all batsmen, wicketkeepers and close fielders in English county cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Friday. — Agencies
