JOIN USEven as the controversy over Jos Buttler’s ‘Mankading’ by Sri Lankan bowler Sachitra Senanayake continues to raise debate over spirt of cricket, the ICC’s Cricket Committee has disapproved the non-striker backing too far.
The committee, headed by former Indian captain Anil Kumble, took up the issue during its two-day meeting here on Monday and Tuesday and concluded that non-striker should be discouraged from taking undue advantage. “The Cricket Committee believes that a non-striker should be deterred from leaving his or her crease before the time the bowler normally delivers the ball,” the ICC said in a statement.
“It (the committee) did not support a formal warning being introduced prior to a bowler being eligible to run out a non-striker, but it did support the view expressed by some captains that the umpires shouldn’t ask the captain whether he wanted the appeal to stand before making a final decision. The Law strikes a sensible balance between preventing a batsman from gaining an advantage whilst at the same time preventing the bowler from unfairly seducing the batsman into leaving his crease by faking to deliver and then holding on to the ball,” it said.
The committee also discussed the use of technology in umpiring decisions, player behaviour and brnging balance between bat and ball.
“One concern (while using technology) related to the checking of No balls on the fall of a wicket, and the delay caused by stopping a dismissed batsman from leaving the field while the replays of the No ball were reviewed,” the ICC said.
“The committee was very positive about the Officiating Replay System (ORS) used during the latter stages of the World T20 in Bangladesh, which consists of a dedicated screen and an operator who sits in the TV umpire’s room and provides the TV umpire with instant replays from any camera angle.
Illegal actions
Concerned about the growing menace of chucking, the committee felt the current methods to detect illegal bowling actions are not adequate and umpires should be more confident in reporting violators.
It recommended that changes be considered to encourage umpires and referees to identify suspect bowlers with greater confidence, to use the expertise of the biomechanists working in this area to assume a greater role.