ECB to introduce player referrals

The umpire's decision is no longer final © Getty Images Enlarge

The ECB will this season allow players to refer on-field decisions to the third umpire on a trial basis in their domestic 50-over tournament this season.

Only the captain of the fielding side and the batsman involved in the decision will be allowed to refer decisions to the third umpire if they are unhappy with what the on-field official decides. Each team will be allowed two appeals per innings which means that, like in tennis, they can keep appealing as long as the third umpire concurs but will not be able to appeal again once they get it wrong twice.

All modes of dismissal - apart from being timed out - can be referred to the TV umpire who can reverse the on-field umpire's decision if he feels, beyond reasonable doubt, that an obvious mistake had been made.

"While we acknowledge the high standard of umpiring in our domestic game, we believe that the opportunity to explore ways that we can achieve even more correct decisions must be taken, and this is the aim of the trial," Alan Fordham, ECB's Head of Operations, said.

Friends Provident Trophy, England's 50-over domestic tournament, begins on April 22 and is played right through the season with the final at Lord's on August 18.