Role of match referees under the spotlight

The ICC has announced that it will be reviewing the role of the match referee in the light of the Oval Test last August when Mike Procter's role in events that led to the abandonment of the match was criticised in a number of quarters.

Procter seemed a virtual bytstander on the fourth afternoon of the Test, and the ICC chief executives' committee will discuss the position of the referee when they meet in Fujairah in United Arab Emirates later this week. The members of the CEC will be asked to consider whether the referee should be responsible for making decisions on the termination of a match.

"It's often perceived that the referee is an official of a type used in many other sports," said Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager - cricket. "The reality is that [he] is the 'chief executive' of an international cricket match who is responsible for liaising with the teams, the boards, the venue and other stakeholders to ensure the smooth running of a match.

"It is therefore suggested that while the on-field role of the umpires shall not be undermined, the referee should have the final say on the termination of a match."

Also on the agenda of the meeting are the range of commercial issues relating to forthcoming ICC events and an update on anti-doping in international cricket.