ICC relaxes Decision Review System for LBWs

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 2 July 2016 approved a change to the DRS (Decision Review System) playing condition relating to the LBW “Umpire’s Call”. The decision will allow changes to the decision review system which will make it easier to overturn not-out LBW decisions. The decision was taken at ICC’s annual conference in Edinburgh. As per the amendment, the size of

the zone inside which half the ball needs to hit any part of the stumps for a not out decision.  Currently, half of the ball would need to be hitting a zone between the centre of leg and off stumps.

This amendment will come into effect from 1 October (or from the start of any series using DRS that commences just prior to this date).

Decision Review System

• The Umpire Decision Review System is a technology-based system used in the sport of cricket. It was introduced in an attempt to eliminate incorrect umpiring decisions.

• The system was first tested in an India v Sri Lanka match in 2008 and was officially launched by the ICC on 24 November 2009 during the first Test match between New Zealand and Pakistan at the University Oval in Dunedin.

• It was first used in One Day Internationals in January 2011, during England's tour of Australia.

Other decisions taken at ICC’s annual conference in Edinburgh include

• ICC agreed to support the inclusion of a women’s cricket event in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban, South Africa. For this purpose, it has decided to work closely with the Commonwealth Games Federation in order to ensure cricket’s inclusion on the program and to determine the specific tournament structure and qualification process that will be applied.

• It decided to arrange a trial to better understand whether the third umpire could use instant replays to call No balls more accurately. Under this, the third umpire will judge No balls being delivered and communicate this to the on-field umpire.

• The ICC reiterated its position that the wearing of helmets in international cricket should not be mandatory, but that if a player decides to wear a batting helmet, then it must comply with the new British Standard (BS) - BS7928:2013.