It's time for the ICC to act on DRS

In my book we have now reached breaking point regarding the DRS system.

The confusion regarding the latest Dravid incident has perplexed many. The last few months have been a public relations nightmare for cricket, and taking all things into consideration the process of decision making has been nothing short of farcical at times.

There are so many diverse and polarizing opinions out there that confusion reigns and disturbingly some of the public comments are extremely uneducated on this topic. That is particularly damaging. Solutions are needed and needed now before this game is further dragged through the mud.

I have thoroughly investigated the DRS technology and I strongly feel that using it for decision making is a far better option that relying on human adjudication on a spontaneous event that is all over in the blink of an eye.

Forget about only preventing the howlers, we want the correct decisions made. Admittedly there are improvements that need to be made regarding both the ball-tracking systems and Hot Spot but that is a natural progression given the correct environment.

There is no doubt that the ICC needs to be more accountable for DRS and take control of the situation. They need to employ key, knowledgeable personnel to galvanize this model to improve the process and importantly take ownership of it. They also must realise that an investment is required.

Currently there is no standardization with ball-tracking camera frame speeds and that is purely an economic decision by the host broadcaster. More financial reserves will improve that situation dramatically as then only the high frame speed ball-tracking cameras could be utilised. Hot Spot can also increase reliability by implementing the use of HD cameras. These steps in the right direction are currently financially restrictive.

I have been saying for years that the ICC needs to find a global sponsor. Now is the time for the governing body to act and find one and also strengthen the financial base for product development. The ICC have been remarkably silent whilst all these debates have been played out in the media as naysayer cannon fodder has been presented at regular intervals during the series in England. Only the sane, lone voice of Simon Taufel has been resonating and that is far from ideal.

The introduction of a global DRS sponsor, who will certainly benefit from extensive on-air exposure, will ensure that all accurate components of DRS are utilised and not just some half-baked version that confounds and confuses. That resultant financial boost will standardize the process, elevate productivity and release a massive financial burden from broadcasters and cricket boards. Accountability will rest with the premier stakeholder of the game, the ICC, and the buck will stop there!

Improvement all round will be a major step forward in the way the game is presented and it will benefit from a giant leap of faith.

At the moment too many side shows are desecrating the game.