KEY POINTS:
Cricket's umpiring referral, or challenge, system goes under the microscope again when the second test between New Zealand and the West Indies starts in Napier today. David Leggat answers some of the key questions around it.
1: How does the umpiring referral system work?
Each team can appeal against an umpire's decision to the third, or TV, umpire. Teams can challenge the on-field umpire's decision as often as they like in an innings, with one important caveat. If the third umpire finds in their favour - that is, reversing the on-field umpire's call - they can keep challenging decisions.
However, once two challenges have been knocked back, a team needs to be careful. If a third challenge is rejected by the TV umpire - in other words, he supports the initial out or not out verdict by his colleague in the middle - that's their lot for that innings. And the spinoff is that later in the innings a team might be saddled with an umpiring howler.
The rule applies to both the fielding and batting teams. Three strikes and you're out, so to speak.
2: What is the reason for trialling the system?
It is an attempt by the International Cricket Council to eradicate the bad decisions which can lead to trouble between the players.
Witness India's trip to Australia last summer and the acrimony which developed by a series of woeful decisions (usually favouring the Aussies).
It was designed primarily to avoid the real umpiring clangers, not the marginal, 50-50 judgment calls. As we'll see, that's not exactly how things transpired in Dunedin last week.
3: How many referrals have there been so far?
The first series it was trialled in - Sri Lanka hosting India in July - produced 48 challenges. Sri Lanka made 27 and had 12 go their way. India made 21 and got one right. No prizes for guessing who adjusted quicker.
The New Zealand-West Indies series is the second to try the system.
At Dunedin, there were seven appeals, four by the West Indies, three by the hosts.
New Zealand batsman Daniel Flynn got a bit of unwanted history in his CV when he became the first player from this country given out by a challenge, five short of his maiden test hundred. Of the seven challenges, four were supported by the TV umpire, three were rejected.
4: What do the players think of it?
The (playing) jury is still to make up its mind. West Indian captain Chris Gayle doesn't like it, preferring the old method of the two men in white making the decisions, for better or worse.
New Zealand skipper Dan Vettori reckons it needs some fine-tuning, suggesting one rejection by the TV umpire being enough. That is, it will make teams think long and hard before questioning the on-field umpire's decision, while retaining the ability to challenge a bad call.
5: So why are there reservations about something which will help get potential errors fixed?
Partly, a sneaking regard for the way it has always been. That is, that the umpire's call should be accepted, if not always agreed with.
Partly a feeling that the ICC planners have not quite got it right. Eradicating the really poor calls is one thing; cutting down a batsman on a marginal call - such as Flynn's lbw in Dunedin - quite another. If that stays in, it will mean batsmen having to change their techniques around the off stump.
It will also stump one of cricket's oldest ideals, that the benefit of any doubt must go to the batsman.
6: Do both the square leg and bowlers umpire have the same rights when it comes to seeking help from the TV umpire?
No. The square leg umpire is allowed to immediately signal for help on run outs or stumpings.
However, the umpire at the bowlers' end is hamstrung. Run outs, yes, he too can go straight to the third umpire.
But he is not allowed to seek assistance on lbws or catches at the wicket. First, he must make his decision, then watch it be questioned by the team he's ruled against, then watch his chum in the stand reverse his decision. Fairness would suggest he too can go upstairs for any decision which comes his way.
7: But the umpires are against technology interfering in their jobs right?
Generally, they don't appear to be against it. It seems they like the idea of the right verdicts being reached - whether by the two in the middle, or with help from the third pair of eyes.
8: How much longer is the trial system going to run?
The idea is to give all test-playing nations an experience of the system in tests.
The West Indies-England series in February will also include it. The ICC's cricket committee will make its findings before reporting to the ICC annual conference in June.
