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ICC advocate DRS roll-out

Image: DRS: here to stay

The ICC's Cricket Committee has suggested the Decision Review System should be used in all Test cricket.

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Cricket Committee want system used at World Cup

The ICC's Cricket Committee has suggested the Decision Review System should be used in all Test matches and at the 2011 World Cup. While the committee stopped short of fully confirming the blanket application of the DRS, which allows players to query on-field decisions with the third umpire, they want it to be introduced "as soon as possible in all Test series". They also resolved to use the system at next year's World Cup in the sub-continent, subject to agreement with the ICC's broadcast partners, with a further proposal to use it in all one-day internationals thereafter. "The committee has confirmed that we are on the right track with DRS and we want to continue with DRS in its current format in the sense that we want the players to be initiating the review," India coach Gary Kirsten, who attended the two-day Cricket Committee meeting at Lord's, said. "We accept that we want to be a bit more consistent on it. We want DRS to be used in all Test series. That will have practical implications and it will not happen tomorrow but we want it to happen as soon as possible."

Criticism

The DRS has courted criticism since the ICC resolved to trial it at selected international matches in July 2008, with the uneven application of the technology at the heart of most concerns. India last year refused to play a series under the system while it caused major controversy during England's series in South Africa last winter when a lack of audio resulted in third umpire Daryl Harper making what appeared to be an incorrect decision on review. "As far as specifications are concerned the other big lesson learned is that we need to get into more detail about minimum specifications concerned," Kirsten added. "When it comes to the need for the third umpire to have access to the audio from the stump cam then it's not good enough just to say he needs to have access from the stump mic, we need to have clarification on volume levels - they all need to be sorted out so that we don't have a repeat of what happened in that England-South Africa series." The committee has suggested that a "minimum standard of technology such as ball tracking technology" be utilised, suggesting Hawk-Eye would be the most basic level of technology required at all matches and meaning the likes of Hot Spot would not necessarily be used. It was also decided that umpires could use the system to confirm the legitimacy of a delivery when a wicket falls, while allowing teams a time limit of 15 seconds to call for a review.