Any new system after its introduction faces the teething trouble, and the same is happening in the case of umpire referral systems. This system was introduced by the International Cricket Council to obviate the controversy that was generating around the nature of umpiring that was taking place for quite sometime. Now the ICC has decided that it will assess the newly introduced umpiring referrals in test matches when the cricket committee meets in May, as was informed by the ICC general manager David Richardson said Monday.

It is a three-member committee headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, with Australia's Mark Taylor and umpire Simon Taufel as its members. According to Richardson introduction and sustenance of the referral system is not an easy thing to accomplish. Though it has been borrowed from tennis, it is more cumbersome when it is applied to cricket, as cricket is a very complicated game to officiate in. In case of tennis when the matter is referred the referral umpire has to give the judgment whether the ball has fallen on the line or not, but in cricket it is not that simple at all, feels Richardson.

 The ICC put the system of referral into place last year with the series between Sri Lanka and India. Under this system batsman or bowler could appeal against an on-field umpire's decision to the TV umpire who also was from the ICC's elite panel of umpires, and he had to give the decision on the matter. Richardson informed that in the trials for referrals the correct decision percentage went up from about 93 to 98 percent.

However, Richardson conceded that there were some mistakes made by the television umpires during the ongoing series between England-West Indies and South Africa-Australia. But these would turn out to be learning from this new system, feels Richardson. He also opined that if the error in umpiring, by using the referral system is brought down to 2%, it would serve its purpose.

The ICC extended its panel of elite umpires from 10 to 12 last year and Richardson said they all come under "incredible scrutiny" throughout the year. "At the moment, umpires are expected to officiate in eight test matches and 10-14 one-dayers every year. To my mind, it's a very reasonable ask from the umpires," Richardson said. "The bottom line is they are doing a tremendous job. They are under incredible scrutiny and they do a good job."

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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