Going upstairs: The decision review system – velvet revolution or thin edge of an ethical wedge?

Abstract

The instant/slow-motion television replay may be seen as broadcasting's greatest gift to sport, by others as a symbol of unwanted change. This and further technological tools, such as super-slow-mo, HotSpot, HawkEye and, most recently, HD and 3D, were devised to bring the viewer closer to the action. Spurred, additionally, by the contradiction between what the viewer sees clearly at home and the paying spectator cannot even detect, sport has gingerly incorporated technology to aid the decision-making, modifying regulations and creating a new official: the video referee, video umpire, instant replay official, television match official or third umpire. No longer is the umpire's word final. Cricket, with the recent introduction of the Decision Review System, has been keener than most to open this Pandora's Box. Some maintain that the umpire's right to be wrong should be sacrosanct, that players should take rough with smooth; this chapter will contend that the greater incidence of correct decisions can only help the game's credibility, ensuring justice is more frequently done and even fostering a greater willingness to walk. It will also argue that the review system should be used in all major games, that it should be properly funded by the ICC in consort with its broadcasting partners, and that it should be revised to allow the third umpire to be proactive.

Notes

¹ Simon Barnes, ‘Referrals offer the sign of things to come’, The Times, 13 Dec. 2010.

² Firdose Moonda, ‘No DRS in South Africa-India Tests’, Cricinfo, 30 Nov. 2010, http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-india-2010/content/story/489748.html

³ Brydon Coverdale, ‘Koertzen calls for DRS in every Test’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 28 July 2010, http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/469536.html

⁴ International Cricket Council, Umpire Decision Review System.

⁵ Fletcher, Ashes Regained.

⁶ Frith, Frith on Cricket, 124– 6.

⁷ Seenaka Weeratana, ‘Allow appeals to the Third Umpire’, Letters to the Editor, The Australian, 25 March 1997 (copy sent by author; referred to at http://sundaytimes.lk/060528/sports/6.html)

⁸ Simon Barnes, ‘Referrals offer the sign of things to come’.

⁹ Stephen Brenkley, ‘Rash of referrals blight the game’, The Independent, 2 March 2009, http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/rash-of-referrals-blight-the-game-1635183.html

¹⁰ International Cricket Council, Umpire Decision Review System.

¹¹ Scyld Berry, ‘Umpiring after Shep’, in Berry, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (2009), 21– 2.

¹² Ibid.

¹³ Steen, Poms And Cobbers.

¹⁴ Williams, Bradman, 211.

¹⁵ Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, 273.

¹⁶ Mike Brearley, quoted in Hopps, Great Cricket Quotes.

¹⁷ Engel, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 9– 10.

¹⁸ Greg Baum, ‘Australia v India 2007– 08’, in Berry, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (2008), 1231.

¹⁹ Siddartha Vaidyanathan, ‘The Bollyline Timeline’, in Berry, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (2008), 1243.

²⁰ Akhila Ranganna, ‘ICC plans meeting to tackle review system’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 25 Jan. 2010, http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/story/445765.html

²¹ Ibid.

²² Sambit Bal, ‘Beware a self-absorbed India’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 7 Jan. 2011, http://www.espncricinfo.com/review2010/content/current/story/495328.html

²³ Michael Coward, ‘The tool dousing cricket's spot fires’, The Australian, 16 Jan. 2010, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/the-tool-dousing-crickets-spot-fires/story-e6frg7t6-1225820188855; Bluefish444 press release, http://www.bluefish444.com/downloads/Testimonials/BF444BBGSportsCaseStudyFINAL.pdf

²⁴ Peter Willey, ‘Umpire Reviews Are Flawed’, The Wisden Cricketer, Oct. 2009, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q = cache:GfQu8UieTrIJ:wisdencricketer.com/item.php%3Fparent_id%3D12%26child_id%3D8%26item_id%3D589+neutral+umpires+and+Wisden&cd = 8&hl = en&ct = clnk&gl = uk&client = safari&source = www.google.co.uk

²⁵ Ibid.

²⁶ Sa'adi Thawfeeq, ‘Review system is a blessing for bowlers – Bayliss’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 9 Aug. 2008, http://www.espncricinfo.com/slvind/content/story/364451.html

²⁷ Derek Pringle, ‘The Ashes 2010: Graeme Swann goes to great lengths to thank technology’, Daily Telegraph, 8 Nov. 2010, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/8118436/The-Ashes-2010-Graeme-Swann-goes-to-great-lengths-to-thank-technology.html

²⁸ Akhila Ranganna, ‘ICC plans meeting to tackle review system’.

²⁹ Sa'adi Thawfeeq, ‘Sri Lanka v India 2008’, in Berry, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (2009), 1296– 7.

³⁰ Cricinfo staff, ‘Umpire Benson calls for HotSpot in review system’, 10 Aug. 2008, http://www.espncricinfo.com/slvind/content/story/364482.html

³¹ Ibid.

³² Cricinfo staff, ‘Tendulkar still not convinced about DRS’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 14 Oct. 2010, http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/481776.html

³³ S. Monga, ‘DRS resistance returns to haunt India’, 4 Oct. 2010, http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2010/content/story/479919.html

³⁴ P. Kidd, ‘Thrill of the chase gives captain reasons to be confident’, The Times, 28 Feb. 2011.

³⁵ S. Ugra, ‘India bats for its 2.5m rule’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 1 March 2011, http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/story/503768.html

³⁶ ESPNcricinfo staff, ‘ICC criticism of Dhoni out of line – India’, 2 March 2011, http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/current/story/503900.html

³⁷ S. Rajesh, ‘The turn of the spinners’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 4 April 2011, http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/current/story/509525.html

³⁸ R. Finlay, ‘The DRS effect on lbw decisions’, ESPNcricinfo.com, 5 April 2011, http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/itfigures/archives/2011/04/the_udrs_effect_on_lbw_decisio.php

³⁹ S. Rajesh, ‘The turn of the spinners’.

⁴⁰ Peter Willey, ‘Umpire Reviews Are Flawed’.

⁴¹ Lawrence Booth, ‘Benson bids farewell but we shouldn't wave goodbye to video replays’, Mail Online, 8 Dec. 2009, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1233912/THE-TOP-SPIN-Benson-bids-farewell-shouldnt-wave-goodbye-video-replays.html

⁴² Peter Willey, ‘Umpire Reviews Are Flawed’.