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The International Cricket Council (ICC) will continue to consider increased use of technology despite claims that some broadcasters have doctored TV replays.

Steve Bucknor made the allegations, international cricket’s most experienced match official. He claims that inaccurate on-screen graphics and incomplete video clips had been used to “make umpires look bad”.

But the ICC general manager Dave Richardson said: “Umpires are always defensive about their own decisions”.

Last weekend, the ICC’s Cricket Committee gave its backing to a proposal to allow teams to have contentious decisions made by officials out in the middle referred to TV umpire. They would, however, be restricted to three appeals per innings. The plan has still to be approved by full the ICC Board, but it is hoped that it can be trailed at the Champions Trophy in India later this year.

Bucknor claims that umpires were not consulted. But Richardson said: “I often point to him as a very good example of why we need to give technology a go. He’s done particularly well this year. After not a great year last year, he’s averaging around 96% of his decisions being correct, and yet he’s made one or two decisions, which have come in for terrible criticism from media and from fans writing in to us”.

“It’s kind of a lesser of two evils. We don’t want to compromise spirit of cricket and we don’t want players having little respect for on-field umpires, but on the other hand, we want to avoid umpiring controversies,” he added.

The ICC would not be drawn on whether they would ask Bucknor to provide more details of his allegations concerning use of TV replays.

But he said: “When these things are happening, it makes life extremely difficult for umpires. Whom do you trust from there on?”

Sports:The News