DRS TO MAKE DEBUT IN ZIMBABWE IN SECOND TEST

The Decision Review System will make a long-awaited

debut in Zimbabwe during their second Test against Sri

Lanka after some last-minute additions to the available

technology have made its implementation possible.

Having borne the brunt of a catalogue of poor umpiring

decisions in their past three Tests, Zimbabwe are hopeful

that the introduction of DRS will help level the playing

field as they look to bounce back from a 225-run defeat

in the first Test.

The DRS will also be used in the triangular one-day

series that follows.

While Zimbabwe have never objected to the use of the

DRS on principle, the cost of hiring the technology has

previously made it prohibitive. However pressure from

overseas broadcasters to improve television production of

Zimbabwe's matches led to Hawk-Eye being used during

the broadcast of their Test series against New Zealand in

August.

With Hawk-Eye once again being utilised in the

broadcast for the series against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe

Cricket (ZC) expressed their desire to use DRS in the two

Tests, but were unable to make the necessary

arrangements in time for the first game. The DRS

requires a form of ball-tracking technology as well as

slow-motion cameras and either HotSpot or Snicko. It also

requires a specialist third umpire to be arranged with

the ICC.

Because ZC did not provide the ICC with adequate notice

prior to the series, the world governing body were

unable to arrange a third umpire before the first Test.

Ahead of the second Test, slow-motion cameras have

been flown in from South Africa and the ICC have

provided a third umpire.

The presence of Hawk-Eye in recent broadcasts has

highlighted a number of incorrect decisions against

Zimbabwe. Nine of the 10 bad decisions during the New

Zealand series went against the hosts, while six of the

seven in the first Test of this series benefitted Sri Lanka.

While the Zimbabweans have been cautious about

blaming their defeats on this decision-making - especially

given that they dropped six catches in Sri Lanka's first

innings - there is a feeling that umpires have a tendency

to give fewer decisions to lower-ranked teams.

The worst decisions have often come on the final day of

Tests when Zimbabwe were fighting to save the match.

Zimbabwe had progressed to 68 for 1 in 29 overs in their

second innings against Sri Lanka, giving them hope that

they could bat out the final day, only to see Tino Mawoyo

given out lbw to a delivery from Dilruwan Perera that

Hawk-Eye believed was missing leg stump by some

distance. They subsequently collapsed to 74 for five over

the next four overs, and after a valiant effort by the

lower order, came within 7.3 overs of earning a draw.

"I think (the errors) have been well documented,"

Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak said on Saturday. "I think

the DRS is good and it's fair for everyone because it can

negate the element of human error. Obviously anyone

can make a mistake, but the less of those that have an

influence on the game, the better."

One other issue that came to the fore in the first Test

was the manner in which Zimbabwe appealed to the

umpires, particularly in comparison to Sri Lanka. While

the hosts seemed to make little more than polite

enquiries and failed to earn a single lbw in the match

(Hawk-Eye showed that they should have had at least

three), the Sri Lankans were vociferous with their

appeals and had 10 Zimbabwean batsmen given out lbw.

"It is something we've spoken about," Zimbabwe captain

Graeme Cremer said after the match. "We're trying to get

more verbal and louder. It can definitely change a game

or change an umpire's mind. We don't want to crowd the

umpire, but I think Sri Lanka have got it down. Those

decisions seem to go against us."