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Dalmiya, Richards at odds on rule changes

Nothing fazed by International Cricket Council CEO David Richards' statement repudiating the rule changes he had spoken off a day earlier, ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya carried on in the same vein, with further strictures on the running of the game.

Describing match fixing as a "heinous act", Dalmiya said the world body debating life bans on players, administrators or umpires found guilty of the offense.

"Betting is however a law and order problem," Dalmiya said, making a vital differentiation, given that most cricketers are believed to enjoy a flutter once in a while. "We can only forbid those connected with the game to keep away from betting, we can't take any harsher action," he said.

Dalmiya said there was no immediate plan to introduce mandatory drug testing. "We are not against it," Dalmiya said. "But tests have their hazards too and the ICC does not want it just because it is done in other sports."

The role of match referees is also being reviewed.

"There is a very thin dividing line between disappointment and dissent," Dalmiya said, referring to some recent controversies, where some players were fined and/or suspended, while other players have been allowed to get away with similar acts. "We are working to ensure consistency in rulings. Usually, batsmen are penalised but bowlers are let off which, on the surface, looks unfair.

"Bowlers have scope for remonstrating and getting away on the grounds of expressing disappointment," said Dalmiya. "But batsmen are not supposed to show their feelings, and are invariably penalised when they do."

Asked why, when speaking of the extended role of the third umpire, he had left LBW verdicts, the most contentious of all, outside the scope of that official, Dalmiya said the ICC is unwilling to make the game "mechanical".

The new rules follow an uproar over controversial umpiring during England's 2-1 Test win against South Africa earlier this month.

Dalmiya, however, defended the men in white coats, saying: "There is no mischief on anybody's part, or error to such an extent in leg-before decisions that requires technological support."

"Even the nine Test captains who met in London in May agreed that the quality of umpiring had improved," the ICC improved.

Asked about new technology developed in South Africa, Dalmiya said its potential was very limited.

"It sought to project straight lines, vertical and linear, which cannot fully reflect the way a cricket ball behaves," the ICC president said.

Dalmiya also wanted the ICC to examine the role of television commentators. "Sometimes their comments are quite unfair," he said.

"Since most of them are ex-cricketers, their remarks added extra pressure on the umpires and vitiated the already tense atmosphere," Dalmiya felt.

While Dalmiya was doing his number, David Richards dismissed his earlier statement that the sport's governing body was all set to increase the use of technology to aid umpires in matches.

Richards said the ICC had no plans to introduce technology to decide contentious bat-pad appeals -- directly contradicting Dalmiya's assertion that from September 1, the third umpire could be called in to rule on faint edges.

Richards said: "There has been no change in the level of use of technology in the game -- we have no plans to increase its use any more than at present.

"Our sport has been at the forefront of the use of technology and as that changes, we will continue to look at it and its possible benefits to cricket.

"Technology does not come cheap, and there is also a danger that all the people around the world training to be top class umpires will have got used to making their own decisions only to be told they must use technology when they reach the top.

"That is an effect we are wary about but obviously, if technology will help us and the sport in general we will look closely at using it, and I am sure our cricket committee will discuss it again in the future," Richards told the media.

Agencies