MCC lashes non-use of DRS in Indian series
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — The MCC World Cricket Committee said yesterday it was wrong that the decision review system (DRS) was not used in matches involving India.
Following a two-day meeting here, the committee, consisting of leading former and current players, urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ensure uniformity in the implementation of the DRS.
Chairman Mike Brearley acknowledged that the power of India in world cricket was a factor.
“We did discuss that general topic,” he said.
“The situation about the DRS is key for us because we’re focusing on the cricket and there is an example where the governance, in a very direct way, affects what you see on a cricket field.
“Because of the governance and because of the power of India and because of the fact that other countries we understand won’t willingly or easily stand up to India, we have this situation that we don’t like, that we have the DRS in place, which improves the accuracy of decision making, except when India are playing.”
MCC head of cricket John Stephenson said it was encouraging that India had called for more testing of technology.
“It’s being undertaken at the moment at Cambridge University with MCC staff in the background,” he said.
“We’re hoping that once that research has been undertaken the report will go back to the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India will start to buy into it. We’re hoping to get to the stage where India will have no choice but to get into line with everyone else.”
The committee expressed unanimous disappointment that the introduction of a world Test championship would not take place in 2013 and that no place had been found for a championship before 2017.