Technology in Sport - Cricket Referral System

The day is fast approaching when cricket decides to follow the example of other sports such as tennis and rugby in allowing the use of technology to assist umpires and referees to officiate. This will hopefully reduce the number of errors and incorrect decisions that are made.

In the same way that tennis players have three opportunities to challenge a decision cricket wants to introduce the same kind of referrals. Not everyone thinks the use of technology in sport is a good idea and one of the criticisms levelled against it is that it erodes the integrity and authority of the referees and umpires.

Another argument against using technology in cricket is that it will slow the game down too much. This point does not carry much weight as some decisions are unclear to the umpires on the field. When this happens the decision is sometimes referred to the third umpire who then uses slow motion technology to arrive at the correct decision. Players being able to challenge decisions will just be an extension of this.

Quite often over the course of a test match there will be one or two incorrect decisions made and the body language of players on the wrong end of these decisions clearly demonstrates they believe an injustice has taken place. Television footage also subsequently exposes incorrect umpiring decisions.

The referral system in cricket is designed to reduce only the major errors so with only three challenges per side it will be used sparingly and only when a captain and his players genuinely believe they have a chance of overturning incorrect decisions.

The use of technology in sport has been a success in tennis and rugby and has not had an adverse effect on the authority of match officials so a player referral system in cricket will only lead to better decision making and reduce controversy from umpiring errors.

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