Cape Town/Perth, Jan 11 (IANS) The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) World Cricket Committee said it was wrong not to have Decision Review System (DRS) in Test matches involving India.
The Indian board has also been fiercely criticised by the Australian media for refusing to use the controversial DRS in the ongoing four-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid, who is part of the committee, was diplomatic when asked about MCC World Cricket Committee’s criticism of India’s stance on DRS.
‘I’ve been part of the decisions earlier but I haven’t seen this latest particular release. Obviously the DRS is a work in progress. Over the last six months … if you had asked me six months ago, I was very pro-DRS. Incidents over the last six months means my own stance is quite weak sometimes. If technology keeps improving, it’s not something we can close our eyes on,’ said Dravid in Perth.
The committee, comprising leading former and current players, following its two-day meeting in Cape Town, asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ensure implementation of the DRS in all Tests and ODIs.
Chairman Mike Brearley, former England Test captain, said the powerful acknowledged that the power of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was using its influence.
‘We did discuss that general topic. The situation about the DRS is key for us because we’re focusing on the cricket and there is an example where the governance, in a very direct way, affects what you see on a cricket field.
‘Because of the governance and because of the power of India and because of the fact that other countries we understand won’t willingly or easily stand up to India, we have this situation that we don’t like, that we have the DRS in place, which improves the accuracy of decision making, except when India are playing,’ said Brearley in a statement.
MCC head of cricket John Stephenson was happy that India was at least open to more testing of technology.
‘It’s being undertaken at the moment at Cambridge University with MCC staff in the background. We’re hoping that once that research has been undertaken the report will go back to the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India will start to buy into it. We’re hoping to get to the stage where India will have no choice but to get into line with everyone else,’ he said.
