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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
West Indies may yet again encounter the controversial Umpire Decision Review System in their three-Test series in Australia.
This follows two host boards choosing not to use the UDRS for similarly imminent, high-profile series in India and South Africa because of the cost.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India and Cricket South Africa have flatly refused to follow the mandate of the International Cricket Council, the sport's World governing body, and implement the UDRS for their respective home Test series against Sri Lanka and England.
But media reports indicate that the ICC will send a senior official to Australia to hold discussions with Cricket Australia and host broadcaster, Channel Nine, in a bid to make sure it is used for Test series against West Indies and Pakistan.
"The ICC Board agreed to the implementation of the UDRS provided there was no cost implication to the member," an ICC spokesman told the Cricinfo website.
"Perhaps, there was an issue with the complexity of existing broadcast deals and how the system would be implemented."
The UDRS is a series of technological gimmicks used by television broadcasters to assist video umpires in the decision-making process.
Teams are allowed to have two decisions of the umpires on the field referred to the video umpires for adjudication in each innings using the UDRS.
Following a series of trials at domestic and international level, the ICC announced in June that the UDRS, or referral system, as it is commonly called, would be implemented from October.
But the home boards and their respective host broadcasters were saddled with the responsibility of paying for it, and India and South Africa are the first two to publicly baulk at the price tag.
"If the ICC wants it, they will have to pay for it," said Gerald Majola, chief executive of Cricket South Africa, in an interview with Cricinfo.
