Cricket: Umpires to go into lounge rooms

Umpire Billy Bowden. Photo / AP.

The ICC have decided to incorporate its umpires in the television broadcast for the World Cup knock-out matches, with communications between officials to air into lounge rooms around the world.

It's an innovation commonplace in sports like rugby league and NFL but the concept has only been trialled once before in cricket, in last November's one-day series between Australia and South Africa.

Hearing the likes of Billy Bowden and Ian Gould is far from show-stopping entertainment, but there is a feeling that the umpires are made more accountable for their decisions by being broadcast around the globe.

It's hoped shocking decisions for the big games will be limited by the extra focus.

And also, an extra layer of drama added to the broadcast as big calls are sent upstairs.

The umpire communications can be aired through the quarters, semis and final on host broadcaster, Star Sports, during umpire referrals, consultations and DRS player reviews, according to the ICC.

There's been some regrettably poor decisions so far this World Cup by umpires, namely the stuff-up in the tournament opener between England and Australia where English batsman James Taylor was incorrectly left stranded on 98 not out and robbed of a hundred.

Umpires are constantly on edge, not told beyond the next match what their assignments will be.

Only quarter-final appointments have been unveiled at this stage, with the men in white left to fight for the big matches just like the players in the middle.