KEY POINTS:
New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram has reacted cautiously to plans to give one-day international cricket teams the right to refer three contentious decisions an innings to the third umpire.
The appeal system - already commonplace in the National Football League in the United States and similar to line-call challenges now used in top-level tennis - could be given a dry run in the State Shield domestic one-day final in March.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) plans to introduce the system at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in September, providing member countries back it.
It is not contemplated for test cricket at this time.
Under the proposal, a batsman, or fielding captain, can appeal a decision, which is then referred to the TV umpire.
Oram admitted he was unaware of the current proposal but felt a cricketer's lot was to rely on the umpires in the middle.
"It works in swings and roundabouts, I firmly believe that. You take the good with the bad," he said.
"I've been given out when I haven't been and I've been given not out when I have. To me it's part of cricket, although I know there are players out there that would like to see more technology used."
New Zealand's ongoing series against Bangladesh has been relatively free of controversy although touring captain Mohammad Ashraful did not believe he was legitimately caught by Ross Taylor during the second one-day match in Napier.
Ashraful was eventually given out without the catch being referred to the third umpire.
A year earlier New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor faced a similar predicament when he was dismissed for a duck against Sri Lanka although replays showed the fielder momentarily lost control of the ball as he rolled on the ground.
The current series across the Tasman between Australia and India has been full of umpire-related drama, with a sequence of mistakes by England's Mark Benson and West Indian veteran Steve Bucknor undoubtedly strengthening the case for a right of appeal.
It will be the second time the ICC have attempted to increase the TV umpires brief.
Two years ago, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed and general manager of cricket Dave Richardson tried to implement a player appeal system but the test-playing member nations were split 5-5. Seven votes were required.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan confirmed the State Shield final on March 2 was being considered for a trial run.
He supported the concept, which was first trialled in English county cricket last year.
"You certainly don't want to see it overdone in terms of constant referral," he told today's New Zealand Herald newspaper.
"My impression is in England they started off questioning a few of the line-ball decisions. When none got overturned they stopped trying."
The ICC meet in Malaysia in March when the matter will be debated, but a final decision may be left until its next meeting in London in June.
- NZPA
