Uniform DRS is likely to be used across all three formats
A uniform Decision Review System (DRS) is likely to be used across all three formats from October 2017, These were discussed and approved by the ICC’s Chief Executives’ Committee at a two-day meeting in Dubai last week.The DRS will also be used for the first time in an International T20 tournament in 2018, with one review per side in the Women’s World T20 in the West Indies.
A more detailed plan will be tabled for approval at the ICC’s Cricket Committee meeting in May followed by a final ratification at the annual conference in June in London.
The proposal also specifies that accredited technology service providers that form part of the DRS will need a stamp of approval from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before use in matches. In the last year all the major technologies used in DRS – HawkEye, HotSpot, Ultra Edge, Real-time Snicko – have undergone performance testing by an apparatus developed by the engineers from the field intelligence unit at MIT in collaboration with the ICC. The apparatus specifically assessed the performance of technologies used in the DRS: ball-tracking and the two types of edge detection – based on noise and on heat. Virtual Eye is the only other technology provider yet to be tested, but will do so in March.
The high cost of using DRS has been one of the challenges for countries adopting the system. Last July, David Richardson, the ICC’s chief executive, said it was time the ICC “paid heed” to the suggestion of the CEC and the Cricket Committee, which had asked it to “take more control” over DRS.