By IANS
London : Former International Cricket Council elite empire David Shepherd says the only way to avoid mistakes like the ones made by Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson in the India-Australia second Test in Sydney is to use more and more technology.
“Technology has got to be used more. Cricket will lose something of its spirit as more decisions are referred, but ultimately it is a game for players, not for umpires, and something has to be done,” Shepherd, who officiated in 92 Tests and 172 One-Day Internationals, was quoted as saying in the Telegraph newspaper here.
“We are judged by technology and people have started thinking that the technology is better than the umpires. That’s not true: on an lbw appeal, an umpire is better placed to judge whether the ball will hit the stumps. But perhaps the TV could help check whether there was an inside edge.”
Shepherd was referring to the umpiring issues arising in the second Test that led to Bucknor being removed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) from the third Test, starting in Perth Jan 16.
India’s tour plunged ran into rough weather after West Indian Bucknor and Englishman Benson gave several wrong decisions, as borne out by slow motion television replays, which led to a furore not just in India but in most parts of the cricketing world.
This issue, along with Harbhajan Singh being banned for three Tests for his racial remarks against Andrew Symonds, snowballed into a major controversy Monday with the Indian cricket board formally asking the ICC to rescind Harbhajan’s ban and remove the two umpires from the last two Tests.
The ICC, sensing grave consequences, Tuesday removed Bucknor from the Perth Test and replaced him with New Zealander Billy Bowden who will now stand with Pakistan’s Asad Rauf.
Bowden and Rauf have in any case been appointed umpires for the fourth Test Adelaide, starting on Jan 24.
“Perhaps the system where each team can call for a certain number of referrals could be the way forward,” Shepherd said.
“It has been trialled, but with limited success, because the TV umpires were reluctant to overrule their colleagues in the middle. They might have to get over that if we are to find a solution.”