Live Blog: Sachin’s milestone

Sachin Tendulkar is on 88 and I am going to live blog, hoping that today he finally gets that elusive 100th international century.

I don’t have a clue how the pitch is playing I have just tuned in and know Sachin is close. very close.

89, single down the ground for the great man.

Sachin needs to get there in the next 15 minutes before I have to leave this seminar. Come on Sachin…

Confusion. Direct hit and Tendulkar would have been out. Wow.

90, single out to deep cover.

FOUR, Sachin moves onto 94 as he crashes it through extra cover.

95, drop and run, just five runs away now.

96, single out to deep square, just a boundary away.

97, slowly, slowly Sachin.

98, another single.

99, just one more…

There it is. Magical.

Dar calls for DRS decision

By James Hale

World leading umpire Aleem Dar has called for the Decision
Review System (DRS) to be used uniformly across all international series.

Currently the DRS system operates in a Test series when both
sides agree to the use of the technology. The majority of the leading
cricketing powers are in favour of the system however The Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) has again refused the use of the technology.

The recent series between England and India did not feature
the DRS system, but the majority of Test match series around the world do
feature the system and according to Dar this is the issue:

“It’s not being used in all series and that affects the umpires’
performance. I believe inconsistent usage is not good for the game.”

The three time ICC umpire of the year is the latest to join the
debate on the DRS system. When the system was first introduced in the Caribbean
in 2008 it received widespread criticism. The issue was that the system was not
being implemented properly by the officials. Since then the ICC have developed
the use of the technology (hawk-eye, hotspot and multiple replays are now used)
and the players now understand the use of the system.

Despite the growing support for the technology, the BCCI are still
refusing to conform to the change and consequently cricket is struggling to
move forward.

So why do India not want to use the system? Do Tendulkar and Co
oppose the use of the system because it increases their chances of being
dismissed?  Or is it simply they are
traditionalists of the game? (Surely not, considering their indulgence in T20
cricket)

India often point towards a decision against Ian Bell during the
World Cup where he was adjudged not out because he was more than 2.5m down the
wicket. This may be a valid argument but they seem to have forgotten that
during their semi-final match against Pakistan, Sachin Tendulkar was given out
LBW on 23, but the use of the system allowed the correct decision to be made
and he went on to make a match winning 85.

In addition to this, during the World Cup the ICC announced that
the use of the system had improved correct decision making by more than 7%.

Either way the decision of the BCCI has led to much criticism and
increased pressure on the ICC to take action.

Former West Indian bowler Michael Holding was critical of the
BCCI’s power in running the World game:

“I don’t believe any country should be able to dictate to the
world, whatever game it is. As far as I am concerned, it is the organisation
running the game that should dictate the path. I am seeing an individual board
dictating certain things, which I cannot agree with.”

Many have called for the ICC to take control of the system and
force all Test playing nations to use it. But the ICC does not want to take
control, pointing to the cost of the system being the reason. However it seems the
more likely reason is pleasing the BCCI who provide the majority of their
revenue.

Resultantly there is a major issue and until this issue is
resolved the future of the DRS system will remain in doubt.