Referral - an idea gone wrong?

The International Cricket Council seems to be getting their acts wrong, more often than not.

If this is not so how can one explain the new ‘review’ or ‘referral’ system that the ICC has thought fit to trial at the highest level of the game - Test Cricket - which is what the game is all about.

The ICC would have been cheered had they trialed this at some other lower level of the game and not Test cricket straightaway.

That apart the other day in an article titled-’The referral system a damp squib’, I said that it will very soon end up as a joke.

The moment ICC General Manager Dave Richardson, who was here to preach about the goodness of the system read the ‘Daily News’, he contacted some of the crecket officials and told them that he would like to meet me and explain.

When an official informed me of this, I told the official to tell Mr. Richardson that I was only putting my views in print and that I need no clarification or correction, not Richardson or from anyone else. I too have played cricket.

Saturday being my off day, and having heard about the wonderful comments made on Ten Sports Intex Straight Drive, my colleague Richard Dwight wanted me to watch and listen to Geoff Boycott, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sanjay Manjrekar on this channel.

So with a glass that cheers, I switched on to Ten Sports and took in what was being said. And if what Boycott, the former England opener said about the decisions of Tillekeratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag, I am sure those who were involved in dreaming this system, heard them, they would do well to stop this system, that if allowed to continue would not only be a joke, but a mockery.

Boycott, Jayasuriya and Manjrekar are all who have played the game at the highest level and sure know what they are talking about and they were very interesting.

In this whole futile exercise, the man who came out worst was the on field umpire Mark Benson who had played the game would have felt like chucking up his job and taking the next flight out, being embarrassed.

Apparently there was not enough communication between the umpires and the third umpire. Questions should have been put and asked, before making the final decision. But this was not so.

Sehwag’s out in the second innings was a blatant mistake. Boycott couldn’t believe it. We don’t condemn or lynch the ICC for introducing this system. But it would have made more sense, had it been trialed elsewhere.

Boycott explained why Sehwag should not have been given out. So it can be seen that technology and the third umpire can get it wrong.

A batting sensation at one time Sachin Tendulkar who is a cricketing god in India, cut a sorry figure and dropped in esteem when he showed his displeasure when he was ruled out by the third umpire, in the review asked for by the Lankans. In completing the stroke the ball nicked his bat as TV replays show.

To the Sehwag dismissal and when the ball hit his pads, the local commentators were quick to say that the ball pitched outside leg before having a look at the ‘mat’.

Once they saw the action on the ‘mat’, changed their earlier decision and said the ball pitched fifty-fifty. So in sensitive matters such as this the local commentators would do well to keep their mouths shut before committing.

From what is happening, it is obvious that the on field umpires would soon lose their value and esteem. With the teams allowed three referrals or reviews, the umpires instead of waiting for the referrals, would do well to take the appeal to the third umpire and let him decide.

Like I’ve always been saying very soon the umpires would be simply robots. And the umpires instead of ganging together and taking on the ICC and fighting for their cause, bend backwards to please the ICC and do their bidding.

In favour of the umpires it must be said that they are certainly not cheating. Mistakes are bound to happen. The umpires are also human. Money is what has gone to create all these evils.

When the game came into being it was played with the umpire’s word being law. The ICC will do well to revert to that tradition.

Good on the ICC

Good on the International Cricket Council that they insisted and agreed to play the ICC champions trophy in Pakistan.

It was originally slated to be played in Perverz Mushraff country. But subsequent unfortunate events, made the venue a bit uncertain.

But the hosts have guaranteed the safety of all players and on that assurance the countries objecting - Australia, England and New Zealand should have agreed to come instead of being fussy.

The Pakistan Cricket Board, the excellent manner in which they conducted the Asia Cup showed, they are capable of conducting a mega event of this magnititude without a hitch. Comprehensive security reports say that Pakistan could hold the tournament.

True that players from Australia, England and New Zealand must be having security fears. But the Pakistanis have guaranteed their safety and so like good sports they must come and play.

As for Pakistan they are not worried whether the complaining teams send their best players or not. They will go ahead with the tournament and that is what matters.

Sometime back when the Indians, South Africans and Sri Lankans were to contest a tri series here, President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised them security Presidential style, yet the Proteas chickend out which was a shame.