India - a firm 'No' to UDRS

The Indian Cricket Board has flexed its muscles: the Umpires Decision Referral System will, regrettably, not be in operation when India play England in a Four Test series beginning next month.

The India Cricket Board has bluntly refused to adhere to this system which it reckons is not 100 per cent fool proof and have informed the England Cricket Board accordingly. For the system to be in operation it requires that both teams agree.

But the Indians have said no. Firmly it seems. And that is how this system will remain. The International Cricket Council is powerless to get India to play to this rule and every time India plays, the system will always remain just a system and that is it.

The Cricket Committee of the ICC is trying to get all teams to play to this system so as to keep the decisions clean. Umpires are human and tend to make mistakes. The UDRS was introduced to keep the decisions clean and cut out any mistakes the umpires make.

Certain number

Each team is allowed a certain number of referrals. The series now on between Sri Lanka and England uses this system in its robust form. Players, the umpires and all concerned see the value in the UDRS.

How and when the ICC is going to convince India to play to this system will be interesting to watch. The two Indian players who strongly object to this system are Sachin Tendulkar and Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Both Tendukar and Dhoni are powerful figures in Indian cricket and are able to dictate terms.

But like I tagged the International Cricket Council a 'TOOTHLESS TIGER' a couple of decades ago, they will continue to remain that way, much to the detriment and progress of the game. Sad. But that is how they will remain unless they sprout teeth and bite the rules into the players and the game.

The other day I was informed that Captain Cool, which tag I gave the Sri Lankan Captain, had used the TOOTHLESS TIGER tag to take a dig at the Indian Cricket Board and bash them for being all powerful. Not Captain Cool, nor any other gun can shake and shed the power that the Indian Cricket Board packs.

Power house

India today is the power house of world cricket. Their Indian Premier League and the Champions Twenty20 are money spinners. It has lured most cricketers and Cricket Boards into that honey comb. It is the frustrated who will have an axe to grind against the Indian Cricket Board.

But the Indian Board will carry on regardless.

The most frustrated player in the England team because the review system will not be in play is off spinner Greame Swann. Swann reckons he gets most of his wickets, as TV replays show, that the ball, contrary to initial appearances, would have hit the stumps.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has said that either every Test series has the Umpires Decision Review System or none does. He opines that the Indian Board has too much power. And we all know that Power corrupts

That Hong Kong match of 1972

I wrote in this column last week how popular Duleep Mendis is still here after his knocks of 111 and 94 at Lord's in the 1984 Test match against England. I also alluded to my playing with him against Hong Kong in 1972. David Heyn has managed to unearth the scoreboard of that match and has mailed it to me.

While mentioning some of the players in that Board President's XI team, I had missed mentioning Mervyn Pieris the former Isipatana and Burgher Recreation Club cricketer. I had also said that if my memory serves me right Mendis, Jagath Fernando and Michael Tissera scored centuries and we beat Hong Kong by innings.

But scanning through that score card, only Jagath Fernando had scored a century and we beat the visitors by 10 wickets. Heyn too played in that match and my thanks to him for mailing me that score card, which while reading through it, brought back those wonderful memories of nearly four decades.

Incidentally Heyn played for St. Peter's in the early sixties and thereafter for BRC and NCC and was rewarded for his fantastic efforts not only in scoring heavily, but also saving a lot of runs was given his spurs against a West Indian team that played in Sri Lanka.

Permanent fixture

He batted with great success in that match and fielded beautifully and ever since became a permanent fixture in all Ceylon teams. His brother Richard also played cricket and both brothers were good hockey players too. David was a brilliant cover field in the class of South Africans Colin Bland and Jonty Rhodes.

David's father Russell Heyn also played for Sri Lanka against Sir Donald Bradman's team at the Colombo Oval. Colin Fernando who watched that match tells me that Russell took Bradman's catch. Russell was later the Army Commander.

Incidentally David was my first victim when I performed the hat trick for St. Benedict's College against St. Peter's College in the match played at Kotahena in 1961. He jumped out in an attempt to hit me out of the ground and Ranjit Fernando stumped him.

The other two victims were Tyronne Le Mercier who was bowled round his legs and Aditha de Silva who was plumb in front. All were out to googlies. The umpire was Allan Felsinger.

Derby Day in London

It was Derby Day in London recently and heavily fancied to win that race was the Queen's Horse - Carlton House. The Queen stuck a tenner on her horse hoping it would break a 102-year royal jinx. Horse racing has been a great passion of the Queen.

Had the Queen's horse obliged, she would have pocketed 750,000 pounds. But sadly it ended third. Punters were left cursing racing's unluckiest horseshoe, after it flew off the Queen's Derby horse and saved bookies pounds 20 million.

Carlton House was gaining ground in the final furlong when her aluminium shoe came loose and cost him his chance of glory. Her Majesty watched glum-faced, as the 5-2 favourite came home third at Epsom behind winner Pour Moi.

Collin and Cass, two Sri Lankans who are regular punters and who backed heavily on the Queen's Horse also lost a lot of money.

[email protected]