“I am sure it will be done away with” - Rajkumar Sharma gives his verdict on the umpire’s call

The umpire’s call has been a matter of intense debate. Pic: Channel Nine

Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma feels that the umpire’s call rule in cricket must be done away with. According to Sharma, the methodology used in the case of umpire’s call lacks coherence and only leads to needless controversies.

The umpire’s call has been the subject of intense debate in cricketing circles over the last few years. Several cricketers, including former India captain Virat Kohli, have expressed reservations over the same.

Speaking on the Khelneeti podcast, Sharma asked for the removal of the umpire’s call from the game altogether. He stated:

“Umpire’s call is very complicated and there is no clarity over it. DRS cannot certainly tell which ball will hit the stumps. Till we come to the impact of delivery, things are actually manual. This is wrong, because if the producer pitches it incorrectly, then the umpire’s call changes.”

Sharing further reservations about the method, he said:

“DRS is not 100 percent accurate and that technology needs to improve. There have been too many controversies over umpire’s call. I am sure it will be done away with in the coming times and should be removed for sure.”

No modifications were made to DRS when the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) announced new cricket rules, which will come into effect from October 1.

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“Don’t think we can expect any change in it” - Saba Karim shares his views on umpire’s call

According to former keeper-batter Saba Karim, while umpire’s call has its issues, it will be in use until a better system is found.

Explaining in detail how the method works, he said:

“Many people are not aware of the intricacies of umpire’s call. In an umpire’s call, a lot depends on the probability. If more than 50 percent of the ball is hitting the stumps then it is not an umpire’s call, it is given out. It comes in when the probability of the ball hitting the stumps is less than 50 percent. Because of the distance between the pad and the wicket, this procedure is being followed."

On the chances of the technique being scrapped from the game, Karim replied:

“A lot of things are being said about it. But until we have a definite mode of calculation, which tells us that the ball will certainly hit the stumps, I don’t think we can expect any change in it.”

The MCC recently banned the use of saliva on the ball and also termed 'Mankading' a legitimate form of dismissal while announcing new cricket rules.