Anil Kumble headed committee recommends ICC to continue with the 'umpire's call' - Reports

The International Cricket Council's Cricket Committee is expected to back the umpire's call ruling, citing that the ball-tracking technology is not going to be 100 per cent correct. The recommendation to continue with the umpire's call will be presented at the upcoming governing body's chief executive committee meeting.

As reported by ESPNCricinfo, the ICC's cricket committee was to ascertain whether the umpire's call should continue in international cricket. Former India skipper Anil Kumble headed the committee.

Along with him, former international captains like Andrew Strauss, Rahul Dravid, Mahela Jayawardene, Shaun Pollock as well as match referee Ranjan Madugalle and umpire Richard Illingworth were part of the group. They took suggestions from other match officials, broadcasters, and Hawk-Eye - the ball-tracking technology provider.

After some debate and deliberation, the committee decided that the umpire's call should continue as is.

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

Recently Indian umpire Nitin Menon had also weighed in on the umpire's call debate and said:

"First of all, the umpire's call is regarding decisions which are very close, the decisions which are 50-50, which can go either way, goes with the call of the on-field umpire. It is not a completely perfect decision that has been overturned, so it is a 50-50 decision which can go either way, to the batting side or the fielding side. When we know that technology is not itself 100 per cent correct, so that is when you need the umpire's call," Menon told ANI earlier this month.

Umpire's call is creating a lot of confusion: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli isn't a big fan of the umpire's call. Before the start of the ODI series against England, the Indian skipper had branded it as "confusing" and argued that even if the ball clips the bail, batsmen should be given out.

"According to me, umpire's call right now is creating a lot of confusion. When you get bowled as a batsman, you don't expect the ball to hit more than 50 per cent into the stumps to consider yourself bowled. So from basic cricket common-sense, I don't think that there should be any debate on that. If the ball is clipping the stumps, that should be out whether you like it or not; you lose the review," Kohli explained.

However, as things stand, the ICC is expected to stick to its current set of rules, and we can expect some more controversy in the future whenever the umpire's call comes into play.

Impact = Umpire’s CallHitting the stumps = Umpire’s CallShould be NOT OUT. As it is it’s difficult to make peace with one umpire’s call....two is a little too much. #IndvEng #Rohit

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 5, 2021