Tendulkar urges ICC to look into 'umpire’s call’ in decision review system

Batting legend and former India captain Sachin Tendulkar, for the second time this year, urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to thoroughly look into the ‘umpire’s call’ in the Decision Review System (DRS).

After Australia’s Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne survived LBW calls against India in the ongoing Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday (December 28), Tendulkar tweeted about “Umpire’s Call”.

Also read: Dhoni, Kohli named captains of ICC teams of decade

“The reason players opt for a review is because they’re unhappy with the decision taken by the on-field umpire. The DRS system needs to be thoroughly looked into by the @ICC, especially for the ‘Umpires Call’. #AUSvIND (sic),” Tendulkar wrote on his Twitter page.

The reason players opt for a review is because they’re unhappy with the decision taken by the on-field umpire.
The DRS system needs to be thoroughly looked into by the @ICC, especially for the ‘Umpires Call’.#AUSvIND

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) December 28, 2020

As per the ICC rules, the decisions involving “Umpire’s Call”, the on-field verdict will stay. If the umpire has given not out on an LBW appeal and if the ball tracking system shows the ball marginally hitting the stumps, the decision can’t be overturned. However, teams will not lose their reviews if it is “Umpire’s Call”.

ICC match playing conditions say, “Umpire’s Call is the concept within the DRS under which the on-field decision of the bowler’s end umpire shall stand, which shall apply under the specific circumstances … where the ball-tracking technology indicates a marginal decision in respect of either the Impact Zone or the Wicket Zone.”

“For a Not Out decision to be overturned, more than half the ball now has to be impacting the pad within a zone bordered by the outside of off and leg stumps (formerly the centre of off and leg stumps), and the ball needs to be hitting the stumps within a zone bordered by the outside of off and leg stumps and the bottom of the bails (formerly the centre of off and leg stumps, and the bottom of the bails),” ICC had said in 2016.

Former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath, speaking on Sony TEN’s post-match show, called “Umpire’s Call” a “grey area”.

Tendulkar, earlier this year, in July, had said that if any part of the ball is hitting the stumps, then it should be given out, irrespective of “Umpire’s Call”.

“One thing I don’t agree with, with the ICC, is the DRS they have been using for quite some time. It is the LBW decision where more than 50% of the ball must be hitting the stumps for the on-field decision to be overturned,” Tendulkar said in a video posted on his Twitter handle on July 11.

“The only reason they (the batsman or the bowler) have gone upstairs is that they are unhappy with the on-field decision, so when the decision goes to the third umpire, let the technology take over, just like in tennis, it’s either in or out, there’s nothing in between,” he added.

To this, even Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had agreed. “Agree with you Paji 1000 percent correct. If the ball is touching the stump or kissing the Stumps it should be given out. It does not matter how much part of the ball hit the wicket..few rules should b changed in the game for the betterment of the game..this is certainly 1 of those (sic),” he tweeted.

Agree with you Paji 1000 percent correct.. If the ball is touching the stump or kissing the Stumps it should be given out..It does not matter how much part of the ball hit the wicket..few rules should b changed in the game for betterment of the game..this is certainly 1 of those https://t.co/m1PfaIpR8y

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) July 11, 2020