BCCI Dictates No UDRS for India West Series; UDRS Used for Pak WI Series Though

The fact that subsequent tours see differing reactions to the use of technology in sport is suggestion enough as to who is the brains behind ensuring that the Umpire Decision Review System remains on the back burner for India’s tour of the West Indies.

UDRS

India begin their tour of the West Indies with one Twenty20 match, five ODIs and three Test matches. However, neither of the formats will use the UDRS system in use although it was last used during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in the Indian sub continent. However, it should be remembered that on that one occasion, the ICC was able to shove the technology down the throat of the Indian team and management that has remained opposed to the Umpire Decision Review System ever since it came into play in 2008.

Although a small number of the Indian cricketers have softened their stance against the Umpire Decision Review System, the collective decision is made by the board. And the BCCI’s stance as far as using this technology in sport is concerned has now been well chronicled as also, how the clout of the BCCI has been able to force teams and boards in favour of the UDRS to abandon the technology when it comes to playing hosts to India.

There is something that has been constantly said about the ICC with respect to the UDRS in that it has not been able to execute its plans to make UDRS mandatory across all formats and all teams. Instead although verbally the ICC has called for the Umpire Decision Review System to become a part of the sport, they have not been able to implement it with authority. While some of the boards have been most willing to take up the challenge, the BCCI and the Indian cricketers have vehemently opposed it to the point where the host board that gets to decide upon using the system is now under the influence and pressure of the BCCI to withdraw the technology.

It appears that the case would be no different with the West Indies Cricket Board who had no qualms using the system when Pakistan were in the Caribbean but has taken a step backwards when it came to the full tour of India, once again raising concern over how this technology will come to be used and implemented with other teams getting increasingly exasperated with being denied the opportunity to trial the technology in order to be able to suggest improvements upon it. With the BCCI firm on its stand, the lesser boards with next to no influence will simply fall in line unless the ICC can tackle the matter for them, which does not appear to be the case. With India standing firmly against the implementation of the UDRS despite the ICC clearly stating that it is in favour of bringing it into mandatory play across all three formats – Tests, ODIs, and Twenty20, it appears this is one battle whose victory has been tilted not in favour of the numbers but rather by the power of one board.