What's wrong with the referral system?

The poor decisions by third umpire Daryl Harper on lbw appeals referred to him on the third day of the Barbados Test between West Indies and England has reopened the debate on ICC's referral system. The referral system is only as good as the men operating it, " writes Simon Wilde in the Sunday Times.

Harper behaved as though he was an average Joe at home, six-pack by his side, watching the replays and going, “That’s out, mate!” And, “That’s not!” He thought his opinion more important than anyone else’s. We have all watched sport in that mindset. Not many of us have had the power to get our way.

In the Trinidad & Tobago Express, Tony Cozier says Harper and his colleagues are not trained to interpret the complex information that goes in to deciding a referral.

The problem, as it was always going to be, was that Harper and all of his elite colleagues have to be guided by a picture that is two, not three, dimensional and by technology with which they are not familiar.

The system was supposed to eradicate poor verdicts and it could definitely be improved if it was run by blindfold drunks, something the ICC should now seriously consider, writes Stephen Brenkley in the Independent on Sunday