While the quality of cricket has been top notch in the IPL, it has often been marred by poor umpiring quality with BCCI giving Indian umpires a chance to gain some exposure in a league that has International stars in heaps.
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However, when umpiring decisions cause a change in the tide of the game, it brings about an air of frustration, something that doesn’t go down well with the players and the fans.
BCCI and the IPL governing authority understands the issue and has now gone ahead and acted on it by confirming the use of DRS for IPL 2018. In doing so, IPL will now become the second T20 tournament in the world to use the DRS.
“The BCCI was keen to have DRS on board for quite some time but it was only this year we felt we should go ahead with it for the IPL. We have the best of all other systems in place, so why not DRS? Anyway, we have been using it for India’s international matches for over a year and a half now,” a top BCCI official said.
BCCI had initially avoided the DRS in the international circuit, owing to the fallacies in the technology, but they have embraced it in the last 15 months or so, and with good effect.
A panel of 10 umpires have been shortlisted for a small workshop on DRS in Vizag. ICC Umpire’s coach Denis Burns and Paul Reiffel have provided all the 10 umpires with a small briefing on the use of DRS.
It is heartening to see BCCI accept the new technology after having shied away from it during the initial years of the DRS. Fans and players will benefit immensely from the DRS which will try and remove any glaring umpiring errors during the IPL, something that will benefit all stakeholders involved.
An exciting IPL season awaits.
