Says referral system will improve accuracy
Says referral system will improve accuracy
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| England captain Andrew Strauss requests a referral for South African Graeme Smith's wicket off Ryan Sidebottom's bowling on Day Two of the fourth Test at The Wanderers on January 15, 2010. Pic/Getty images |
The Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) may have its detractors, but it is here to stay. It received a thumbs-up from the ICC Cricket Committee which recommended that the UDRS be implemented in the 2011 Word Cup in the subcontinent and in all Test series as soon as possible.
Respected former Test umpire Piloo Reporter backed the decision and said it would be silly not to make use of the latest technology. "The players want accuracy and consistency and the UDRS is definitely going to correct human errors," Reporter, who officiated in 14 Tests and 24 ODIs told MiD DAY.
Reporter also advised his fraternity to embrace change. "Everyone has to change with time. We have to accept that the umpires are going to become like robots, who will be there only to count the balls. Today's umpire is mentally prepared about this. If the referred decisions prove to be correct, his morale will be boosted," observed Reporter.
Introduced in July 2008, the implementation of the UDRS has been inconsistent in terms of the series it has been used in. There have been a few controversies over its usage too, with doubts being cast over the accuracy of the hawk-eye for LBW decisions. "The hawk-eye is not 100% perfect, but five per cent error can be tolerated," said Reporter.
The umpire technology will certainly be more accurate than judging from the naked eye. "In leg-before decisions, the bowlers will be favoured. But, until five years ago, the flat rule was that when the batsman plays forward, he's not out. When I analyse my own performance after looking at the current technology, I realise there are so many decisions which I should have given out," said Reporter.
