Referral system gets ICC go-ahead

The referral system trialled in the West Indies recently will come into effect after the Champions Trophy

The umpires’ decision review system will be introduced to Test cricket later this year.

Following a two-day meeting of the International Cricket Council's cricket committee at Lord’s, it was decided the referral system, trialled during England’s recent tour of the Caribbean among other series, will come into operation from October.

The system came in for criticism for the length of time taken for the TV umpire to review decisions, and for ambiguity over how the laws should be applied.

The committee, chaired by ex-West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, proposed that the review system should not be brought in until after England’s high-profile Ashes series against Australia later this summer.

Providing the implementation is ratified at a full ICC board meeting next month, the referral system will come into effect after this year’s Champions Trophy in South Africa.

The trial, which saw players given the opportunity to ask for umpires’ decisions to be reviewed by the television umpire, took place in four Test series spanning nine months - Sri Lanka v India and New Zealand v West Indies last year, and Australia in South Africa this year as well as England's tour of the Caribbean.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: “I’m excited that the committee concluded that the umpire decision review system had a positive effect on the game.

“It reduced the number of incorrect decisions and also cut down on the instances of player dissent.

“The committee’s recommendation will now be taken forward to the ICC chief executives’ committee and the ICC board and if both those groups agree then we will seek to roll out the system from October 2009.

“The time ahead of that date will allow us to firm up the playing conditions, technical specifications and protocols, ensure additional training for match officials and further brief the players so that the process can be successfully implemented.”

The cricket committee also agreed that the concept of day/night Test cricket should be explored further, and suggested a trial match next year.