Cricket to Trial Official Challenges to Decisions

A new system will be trialled on India's tour of Sri Lanka whereby players can challenge decisions made by an umpire. In a system akin to one used on the 2006 ATP and WTA tennis tours, each team will be allocated three challenges per innings. If a review request proves successful, with the umpire amending his original decision, then it will not use up one of the allocated challenges. If, however, the umpire upholds the decision of 'out' but specifies a mode of dismissal different from the one that the on-field umpire originally signaled, the request will be considered unsuccessful.

The system will be trialled during the three-Test, five one-day international series which starts on July 23 in Colombo, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced. "A player may request the review of any decision taken by the on-field umpires concerning every dismissal with the exception of a 'timed out' decision," read a BCCI statement.

Upon a request, the decision would be referred to the third umpire, who would then be allowed to use slow-motion replays, stump microphones and Hawk-Eye technology to analyse the decision. However, Hawk-Eye would be used only for ball tracking purposes and not, as it is on television coverage, to estimate the future trajectory of the ball.

The statement continued: "For reviews concerning potential dismissals, the player should then indicate 'out' by raising his finger above his head or indicate 'not out' by crossing his hands in a horizontal position side-to-side in front and above his waist three times. Where the decision is a reversal of the on-field umpire's previous call, he should make the 'revoke last signal' indication immediately prior to the above."