Umpire’s refferal at last

This column may have been sounding like a broken record when we continued over a long period to advocate the Umpire Decision Referral System which was the brainchild of Sri Lanka Attorney-at-Law and cricket enthusiast Senaka Weeratne. From the shaows of an elusive past it has, at long last given birth. It will finally see the light of day.

The Test series between Sri Lanka and West Indies will have the system in operation. Good that the two countries and others concerned have finally arrived at this decision. Posterity will look back and thank the cricket leadership of the two sides for blazing a trail.

Putting the system in place costs a lot of money. But what is unacceptable is that while the sponsors of the telecast Ten Sports has volunteered to bear the major share of the cost, the International Cricket Council and Sri Lanka Cricket will share the rest of the cost.

Now this is inexplicable. The ICC is the ones who are insisting on this system. Then it is appropriate and right that they pocket the major share of the cost. With the mega dollars that they are making, it was their duty to play a bigger role in this episode.

Well done Ten Sports

Anyway we say well done to Ten Sports - Sri Lanka Cricket’s TV partner - a channel that is continuing to grow in popularity for agreeing to foot a major share of the cost of implementing the UDRS that will help keep the game clean and less of umpiring blunders. Ten Sports have also introduced a new channel titled Ten Cricket. More strength to their elbow! Operating the UDRS is estimated to cost a little over rupees 12 million. Ten Sports will pocket out rupees 7.8 million, while the ICC and Sri Lanka Cricket will dole out 2.24 million Sri Lanka rupees. In agreeing to put this system in action, Sri Lanka and the West Indies have set an example and it is hoped that countries who are averse and refusing to play this system will begin to see reason and the benefits— and play to this system.

Umpires are also human and they tend to make mistakes. When this system is in operation, it will lessen the mistakes made by the on field umpires. Both teams will be allowed a number of referrals and the decisions made will be to the satisfaction of both teams. And what is more the doubts that creep into the minds of the watching public will be abated.

Cricket in Galle again

When this column is read, provided that the weather stays fine, the first day’s play in the First of Three Tests between Sri Lanka and West Indies for the ERI Cup will be over.

The Sri Lankan selectors in naming the squad for the Test would have had good reason to leave out Lasith Malinga the bowler with a similar action like West Indian Fidel Edwards who unfortunately is not in the Windies tour party. Apparently the selectors would have wanted to give the pacie a rest considering that he had been playing a lot of cricket in recent times. With a peculiar action, there is the possibility of him breaking down if he is over-bowled.

This is a strategic move no doubt: with the 2011 World Cup looming and with Malinga expected to spearhead the pace attack, it is paramount that he be nursed and not over taxed. The rest should do him a lot of good.

Selectors confident

If the Tests seem to be going the way of the Windies, the selectors may consider bringing him back, not wanting to lose the series. But the selectors are confident that the rest of the attack can see us through in this series. At the moment the focus is on the one-day game. With the World Cup being the bottom line, Test cricket will be relegated and not taken that seriously. Yet the Lankans will not want to lose and will strive to pocket the Test series.

The Galle wicket has a tendency to be spin friendly and the Lankans have gone in with two spinners in Suraj Randiv and Ajantha Mendis. In batting the Lankans are settled and runs are expected from the top order who are familiar with the batting conditions. Curator and former Sri Lankan off cutter Jayananda Warnaweera has once again promised a sporty wicket. He could be trusted. But the wicket is likely to favour spin as the game progresses.

As for the cricketers from the Caribbean, they will want to win the Test series and give new captain Darren Samy an auspicious start to his captaincy career. They have cricketers who can be threatening and it will be interesting to see how they go. Besides cricket fans in Sri Lanka have over the years had a soft corner for the West Indies for their dashing style and the warmth they exhibit in their relationships. This column can bear testimony to this camaraderie having covered the Windies both her in Sri Lanka and in the Caribbean.

England start well

The English team is making a bold bid to win the Ashes in Australia after 17 long years. They started off nicely beating Western Australia on a pacy wicket in Perth with captain Andrew Strauss striking early form with a century.

An opinion poll in Australia has tipped England to win the series. The poll also indicated that former leg spinning sensation Shane Warne be given the coaching job if Australia is to get their act together and beat England.

This time round England won’t have the vociferous support of the ‘Barmy Army’. With the pound giving them only three dollars, the Pomi supporters have decided to skip the tour and the England cricketers will certainly miss their witty shouts and encouragement.

While the teams are promising to keep play out in the middle clean, there will always be a bit of sledging which was made a fine art by Steve Waugh’s Australians. Waugh called sledging mental disintegration.

Well served

While both teams will be well served in the pace department, in spin England will hold a slight edge with Greame Swan being a bit ahead of Nathan Hauritz. Both are off spinners. Swan is certainly not in the top class of the late Jim Laker who ran circles round the Aussie batsmen in the fifties and had them in a flat spin when he captured 19 wickets in a Test.

Shane Warne, that former Aussie leg spinning sensation has volunteered to help Hauritz over come his poor form. Warne is doing it with all good intentions, because he would not like to see his side losing again.

Cricket Australia should not think twice but get Warne to help Hauritz to get his spin going and pitch in the right areas, that could prove troublesome to the opposing batsmen. With a few days to go for the First Test at the Gabba, both teams will be firing barbs at each other, in an endeavour to hype and unsettle. It would be interesting to watch as to who will succumb when the final ball is delivered at the end of the Five Test series.

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