ICC may allow appeals against umpire's decisions

The ICC's cricket committee will debate whether or not to allow players a limited number of appeals per innings if they feel that the on-field umpires have made an incorrect decision.

Both the batting and fielding sides could be allowed to appeal against a decision if they feel it is incorrect. If the idea is supported by the committee at the meeting on Friday and Saturday and accepted by the chief executives' committee and the ICC board, it could be introduced at the Champions Trophy in India and, if successful, used at the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.

"The proposal is that run-out and stumping decisions will stay as they are. The on-field umpire will consult the third umpire in the normal way. Every other decision, including leg before the wicket, can be checked - every aspect of every decision," Dave Richardson, ICC's general manager (cricket), told Indo-Asian News Service. "The proposal is that if your appeal is unsuccessful then you lose that appeal and you are allowed only a certain number. We haven't decided on the number yet. It could be two or four per team per innings.

"The ICC has consistently shown a willingness to explore the possibilities offered by technology over the past four years ever since the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002," said Richardson. "What we are looking to do is to increase the already-high numbers of correct decisions made by our on-field umpires without diminishing their role and this approach has the potential to do just that. Umpires at international level already get between 94% and 96% of decisions correct so we believe we are not talking about a large number of potential referrals. And if it increases the number of correct decisions even further then that has to benefit the game.

"It's not easy to find a compromise, but by having tried various things over the years we are in a good position now to see what works and what doesn't. We are ready for a final push in the direction we want to go, which is a compromise position that satisfies both the traditionalists and those who are for greater use of technology. There would be some who would say it was against the spirit and tradition of the game. But the majority of people in the cricket world are saying that if you've got technology why aren't you using it."