'Bucknor removed due to BCCI pressure'

Indirect criticism emerged on Wednesday of the way the Board of Control for Cricket in India handled the issue of West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor.

Dave Richardson, former South African wicketkeeper, now General Manager - Cricket of the International Cricket Council, said the pressure put on veteran umpire Bucknor in the controversial Sydney Test over the New Year was one of the reasons why the referral system was being put in place.

Explaining the ICC's view, Richardson clearly spelt out reasons why the referral system was being introduced at Test level. It wasn't just the Sydney Test but other Tests where the view was that it was time to give the referral system a trial. It is why the series involving India and Sri Lanka was being used as an experiment.

"People will say that referring a decision to the third umpire (at a player's request) is against the spirit of the game,' he told a media conference on Wednesday before the start of the rain-delayed first Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

"What we (the ICC) are saying is that if you feel a mistake has been made, then make a polite request to the umpire to refer the decision to the third umpire.

"It is felt that it is challenging the umpire's decision (is not the way to go). The way we look at it is, what is best or worst for the game? Is it the umpires making mistakes and being accused of cheating? Or Steve Bucknor being burnt in effigy and threatening to leave the country and fly home.

"Or to criticising umpires on one hand or a system where the umpire has been given an opportunity to review his own decision and make a final decision for himself. Our thoughts are that this latter course would be preferable.

"Let's face it; the umpires are under intense scrutiny from television replays. Every mistake that is made is emphasised and they are not allowed to forget it," Richardson said. "That being the case, allow then the opportunity to use the technology."

Richardson clarified the point over the ICC's views over the Sydney Test fracas, saying that the "ICC stood firmly behind" the Jamaican.

"There were calls for Steve to be fired permanently and obviously we resisted that (pressure). He's a good umpire, he's had a long career and the reason for taking him out of the next Test match was the hype.

"The media hype and the behaviour of the Indian board in that particular instance, created a situation that made it impossible for him to stand in the next Test. The first little error he would have made would have been blown out of proportion.

"We decided that it was best for him and his colleagues in that next Test that he rather take a back seat for a while and so defuse the situation. That was the reason," he commented.

"Darrel Hair is a difficult case. It is a once off and I hope that we never confronted by such circumstances again."

Richardson was the Proteas wicketkeeper in the first Test of the historic 1992/93 South Africa friendship series with India. The first TV technology line referral was made at Kingsmead Durban and a decision had to be made with a Jonty Rhodes return to Richardson that ran out Sachin Tendulkar.

Karl Liebenberg, the third umpire making the decision, said he felt "like a hangman" as he pressed the button that signalled the end of the Mumbai maestro's innings.

"In those days there were only twelve cameras on site," Richardson said. "Today there are twenty-six cameras and technology has come a very long way since then."