Quantcast

International coaches call for DRS changes

West Indies and Zimbabwe coaches call for further changes to decision review system after controversial Test draw

A little more than a month after the ICC revamped its rules regarding the Decision Review System, the coaches of West Indies and Zimbabwe have called for further change following some controversial non-decisions during their Test in Bulawayo this week.

A host of minor rule changes were introduced to international cricket last month, including the removal of 'top-up' reviews after 80 overs in Tests; teams still have two unsuccessful review available to them per innings, but that count no longer re-starts after 80 overs.

And both teams were stung by the rule tweak in the second Test, which led to criticism from the Windies' Australian coach Stuart Law and his Zimbabwean counterpart Heath Streak.

"To only be able to use (the DRS) for two incorrect appeals, I think, is ludicrous considering that you had $400,000 worth of machinery around and you can't use it," Law said, who prefaced his remarks by saying "I probably can't comment on that because I'll get into big trouble".

"To me that doesn't quite make sense. But we've got to be smarter and understand that we do only have two reviews.

"From my understanding, the technology has been incorporated to stop the absolute howler. Umpires are human and they make mistakes, we all do.

"But it's there to stop the howler and if there are decisions where you feel you've been hard done by and you're not able to use it, I think it's something that must be looked at."

Former Zimbabwe captain Streak agreed, saying: "If you're going to spend that much money, I think four or five reviews should be necessary to get the correct decisions. I don't see any reason why they should limit it to only two."

The hosts wasted their two reviews in the 64th and 76th overs of the tourists' first innings - in the second instance, an LBW shout was turned down and replays showed the ball would have missed the stumps completely - and were left to rue their decision when Windies skipper Jason Holder earned a reprieve when he was on just 11. The tourists were seven wickets down and still trailing by 76 runs when an LBW shout against Holder was turned down on the field and replays showed he would have been dismissed on review. The skipper went on to post 110 as the Windies claimed a 147-run first-innings lead.

And on the final day, Zimbabwe's push to force a draw was helped by up to three decisions going their way when the Windies had run out of reviews, notably the reprieve to skipper Graeme Cremer from the first ball he faced. Cremer remained not out at the close, surviving a further 48 overs as the hosts staved off defeat with seven wickets down.

While pleased to hold on for a draw, Cremer conceded the Holder incident changed the course of the match.

"Our poor use of reviews in this Test is something we will have a look at," he said.

"The Test match could have been a lot different if Holder had got out. We could have knocked off the tail a lot quicker, and got a long way ahead in the game.

"It's one of those things. It can happen."

Holder was far more philosophical and said the tough decisions evened out over the course of the match.

"A few decisions didn't go our way, but that's how it goes," he said. "We got lucky in our innings as well, to be honest that's how the game works out.

"Reviewing is difficult, on TV it looks pretty straight but when ball-tracking comes up you see something totally different. Fifteen seconds to make the decision feels like five seconds and it's up to the keeper and the bowler to make the decision."