Many who witnessed the second test between India and Australia in Sydney, early this year, would welcome the decision to introduce umpire referrals.The ICC has decided to use this summer's Test series between Sri Lanka and India as an experiment to see if the referral system works on the field.With this system, each side will have three referrals per innings where the fielding captain or a batsman can ask for a decision made by the umpire to be subject to a television review. This may sound like a good way to integrate technology with the sport.
But many in the cricketing fraternity believe,this may make the role of an umpire redundant. Its all right, to bring more clarity into the umpire's decision, but it could take away the eternal charm of the game.
Present Cricketeres like, Indian opening batsman,Gautam Gambir and Sri Lankan Captain Mahela Jayawardane have welcomed this move. They do have point in supporting it. After all,they are the ones who suffer because of certain poor decisions by the umpires. Due to the referral sysytem,there will be less pressure on the umpires too.
The great umpiring legend, Dickie Bird, lambasts the decision sayin thinking umpires will no longer exists.He also feels compromising with the sole authority figure on the field will lead to confusion, and that the latest decision is a direct fallout of the umpiring controversies in the last India-Australia Test series Down Under a few months back.
So, the latest decision by the ICC, leads to a long drawn debate, which has its own advantages compromising on the beauty and the great tradition of the game,i.e, "Umpire's word is final".
