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Australian cricketing great and former India coach Greg Chappell says technology should be used to help umpires in all international series, not just at the whim of competing nations.
But Cricket Australia (CA) believe technology across the cricket-playing world needs to catch up with what’s available in Australia to make that happen.
Chappell’s comments came after the absence of the decision review system (DRS) for the Australia-India four-Test series cost Australia’s Mike Hussey and Ed Cowan their wickets on Monday’s opening day at the MCG.
All Test-playing nations other than India have embraced its use.
Chappell backed Cowan’s call for the decision on whether to use the system to be taken out of India’s hands.
“If there’s a chance that the really bad (decisions) can be overturned and the game is better for it then I think we should have the technology,” Chappell told Fox Sports.
“If you’re going to use it, well you’ve got to use it everywhere.”
The International Cricket Council (ICC) ruled at its annual conference in June that DRS be used in all Test and one-day international series.
But that policy lasted less than four months, before being overturned at a board meeting in October.
That is despite ICC figures showing the proportion of correct decisions in Tests when DRS is used is 97 per cent, compared to 92 per cent without it.
Chappell blamed the reversal of the policy on India’s stranglehold on power.
India’s media manager GS Walia refused to comment on his board’s stance on Tuesday, as did paceman Umesh Yadav at a press conference on Monday.
But past comments by India players, most notably captain MS Dhoni, indicate their lack of faith in the accuracy of various ball-tracking methods and disappointment with several technology-aided decisions are behind their opposition.
Dhoni has compared relying on an imperfect review system to buying a life jacket without a warranty.
CA is firmly in favour of DRS, but says it’s taking a pragmatic approach, rather than pushing the case hard through diplomatic channels.
Instead, its view is that when the standard of technology around the world equals that available in Australia, the case for DRS will become irresistible.
“Our view is we’ll get there eventually and the focus should be on improving technology globally. Then it will speak for itself,” CA spokesman Peter Young said.
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