ICC have high hopes for review system
The ICC is hoping the new decision review system (DRS) will encourage batsmen to walk and bowlers not to appeal speculatively.
The system involves a batsman or the fielding side's captain asking for a review of an umpire's decision they are not satisfied with, with each side having a limit of two unsuccessful challenges per innings.
The ICC's general manager of cricket David Richardson accepts traditionalists may reject the DRS, but is confident it will have a wholly positive impact.
"People say this is challenging the authority of the umpire, it's contrary to the spirit of the game," Richardson said.
"I'm saying what's worse for the game, a Steve Bucknor effigy getting burnt in India from a bad decision or the opportunity to rectify his mistake and hopefully improving the spirit by saying to the players, 'It's your game, your responsibility?'
"You hit it, you walk, if you don't think it's out, don't appeal.
"We're not going to get 100% of decisions right because there are going to be some decisions that aren't conclusive from a technology point of view.
"But as long as we avoid those clear mistakes...the obvious ones we'll hopefully eradicate."
The DRS will be in use for the series between Australia and West Indies that gets under way with this week's opening Test at the Gabba and the forthcoming Test series between South Africa and England.
It is not being used for the current series between India and Sri Lanka but is for the ongoing first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan.
Richardson admitted the use of the DRS in individual Test series would be dependent on a number of factors.
"It's in the playing conditions, but there is the leeway to amend those and say we're going to go back and use the old system," he said.
"We can change our playing conditions at any time by agreement between the two participating teams with the ICC's prior approval.
"There are going to be some broadcasters who just don't have any of the technology and we have to say look, we can't have the DRS without ball tracking or whatever."
Aside from the ICC members who currently oppose the system, such as England and India, the major hurdle preventing its widespread use is technology.
With a range of expensive cutting-edge equipment needed, Richardson admitted the ICC would be in the hands of TV broadcasters around the world.
"Certainly in this interim phase we have to rely very heavily (on broadcasters)," he said.
"Cricket wouldn't really be able to even contemplate using any kind of technology if it wasn't able to piggyback on what the broadcasters have already.
"We're not in a position to influence what those broadcast agreements might say. We have to live with what is in place at the moment."
The ICC rejected calls from some in the cricket community, such as New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, that the number of unsuccessful reviews should be reduced to one per innings.
Richardson suggested that if anything, cricket's governing body would look at tweaking the rule to allow extra challenges in cases of close Test matches.
"Down the line we might have something similar to tennis, where in a tie-break situation you might get one extra one," he said.
"So we (would) avoid the situation where, come the last 15 overs of a Test match, a crucial decision is unable to be adjudicated on using the system because the fielding captain has used his reviews up.
"It's a bit harsh on a batsman in particular where you generally might feel that you haven't nicked it and the technology isn't good enough."
Richardson confirmed that while the Board of Control for Cricket in India has voiced its concerns about the DRS, England was the only ICC member to oppose its introduction at the ICC board meeting in June.
"England likes the use of technology but they don't like the players having to initiate the process," he said.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to ask India why they're not too keen on it at this stage."
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