Referral Of Decisions To The Third Umpire

One of the few benefits of the current Test match between Australia and the ICC World XI is that it allows the game's administrators to experiment with the use of the third umpire. By allowing the umpires to refer any decision to the third umpire (an official who can review slow motion replays), the ICC can examine the impact that these changes are likely to have if introduced to all Tests. It was eminently sensible to conduct this experiment in Test match conditions but in a contest that nobody really cares about.

Decisions will be more accurate if those that make them are permitted to view slow motion replays. However, the decision making is no longer spontaneous and the game is inevitably slowed down as a result. It took three minutes to give Michael Clarke out LBW and of the six wickets to fall on the first day, three were due to third umpire decisions. There were also many decisions referred to the third umpire which were not given out. It appears that if umpires have to make three decisions: out, not out or refer to the third umpire, they are more likely to opt for the latter if the decision is at all contentious. This has certainly been true for run out decisions; it is very rare for an umpire not to refer a decision on a run out if it is at all close.

I understand that in baseball and Canadian football (very similar to American football, but a larger pitch and there are only three downs instead of four) a team has the right to appeal against a set number of decisions made on the pitch, which can then be referred to the television referee. This illustrates that other sports have attempted to limit the number of interruptions caused by the use of a television official. However, I would be against allowing sides a number of appeals against a decision in cricket, as it would erode one of its the central tenets: that the umpire's decision is final.

I argue that a delay of three minutes in making a decision is unacceptable and must not become commonplace. Until the technology can be improved there should be no alteration in the current rules regarding referrals to the third umpire. However, in the future I would not be surprised if all decision-making is removed from the umpire on the field, who will merely become a conduit for the television umpire(s) who will make all the decisions, hopefully in seconds.