A third on-field umpire?

Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has suggested that a third onfield official could be used to improve umpiring standards at the highest levels of the game.

"Perhaps it is time for us to add another onfield umpire at international level," said Speed during the ICC's annual conference at Lord's. "Cricket is one of the most difficult games to umpire."

Two men in the middle have been used throughout the history of Test cricket, although in the 1990s the onset of the television age led to the use of TV replays for marginal line decisions such as run-outs and stumpings. In the Champions Trophy in 2002, Pakistan's Shoaib Malik became the first batsman to be given out lbw by video, although that experiment was not an unqualified success and there are no plans to continue down that route.

Speed's idea comes as the ICC seeks to raise standards of etiquette in the game, not to mention faith in the officials. West Indies' historic victory over Australia in Antigua last month was marred by a fierce verbal confrontation between Glenn McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Speed rebuked the umpires for failing to take action. An additional onfield umpire might help defuse such situations in the future.