Cricket: Umpiring review in doubt for tour

Sachin Tendulkar is opposed to the referral system. Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Zealand and Pakistan want to use the umpiring review system in their test and ODI series, but might not be allowed to.

The International Cricket Council is having discussions with rival technology providers, Animation Research of Dunedin, who provide Virtual Eye, and British company Hawkeye. The technology companies believe the umpire decision review system should be in place in all series rather than be decided on a case-by-case basis.

The ICC need sponsorship to cover the costs. India are the only test-playing nation opposed to the UDRS.

Their senior players, notably star batsman Sachin Tendulkar and captain MS Dhoni, are implacably opposed to it. What Tendulkar wants, in India he generally gets.

"I am not fully convinced with the referral system," Tendulkar said recently.

No India means much less interest from potential sponsors because of the financial muscle of the Indian market.

The system allows teams to appeal against an umpiring decision. Once they have had two appeals rejected, they lose the right to make any more in that innings. It was initially intended to correct the howling bad decision by an umpire. Instead teams have tended to take a punt on it for 50-50 calls, which defeats the purpose for which it was introduced.

The ICC has confirmed the UDRS will be used at the February-March World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. So far, it has only been used in test cricket but the door is slowly opening.

"We are very keen for it to be in place," NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said. "And we've got the ability to use it in the ODI series."

Discussions are taking place during the Ashes test in Perth at the moment between the ICC and the technology companies.

The first test starts in Hamilton on January 7, but Vaughan believed NZC would need an answer some time next week.

"It would be disappointing [if the UDRS was ruled out] particularly with New Zealand technology that we couldn't use in New Zealand," he said.

His gut feeling is New Zealand might get "caught in the middle of a wrangle, but I hope that's not the case".