The Cricket Committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC), headed by former India captain Anil Kumble and a set of former international captains like Andrew Strauss, Mahela Jayawardene and Shawn Pollock, is set to back the ‘umpire’s call’ rule despite a lot of opposition from several players. The committee will back its decision on the basis that the ball-tracking technology was not going to be 100 per cent accurate anyway.
As per ESPNcricinfo, the committee will table the recommendation in their chief executive committee meeting in the coming week. During their previous meeting, which was held earlier this month, it was confirmed that the decision needs to be explained in a much better way to everyone involved in the game, which includes the players as well as the fans.
It was ahead of India’s 1st ODI against England in Pune that captain Virat Kohli admitted that the umpire’s call rule causes "a lot of confusion". "According to me, umpire's call right now is creating a lot of confusion,” said Kohli on Monday at a media.
"When you get bowled, as a batsman you don't expect the ball to hit more than 50% of the stumps to consider yourself bowled. So when the ball is shown as clipping the stumps, the bails are going to fall.”
"So, from basic cricket common sense, I don't think that there should be any debates on that. If the ball is clipping the stumps, it should be out - whether you like it or not you lose the review. And that is how simple the game has to be: if it hits the stumps or it misses the stumps, it doesn't matter how much it is hitting and that kind of things. Because it is creating a lot of confusion."
However, as far as the committee is concerned, it took the suggestions from other match officials, broadcasters, and the ball-tracking technology supplier to come to a conclusion that the umpire’s call rule will stay.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis
