Cricket cancel referees soft signal after row of disputes

ICC dismissed judges' A soft signal for a controversial catch. Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images

The soft signal will be canceled in Test cricket after the International Cricket Council decided to cancel it with immediate effect.

The soft signal has been used. when the on-field umpires passed a disputed catch to the third umpire and the on-field umpires indicated whether they thought the batsman was out. But now it will be cancelled, and instead the third referee will decide if the player is out of the game, regardless of the referees on the field' view is a mirror image of the method for runouts and stumps.

“Soft signals have been discussed in previous cricket committee meetings over the last couple of years,” said Surav Ganguly, head of the men’s cricket committee. «The Committee discussed this at length and concluded that soft signals were unnecessary and at times confusing, as the transmission of catch information can appear inconclusive in replays.» Women's play has also been changed.

The soft signal is becoming increasingly controversial, and many feel it makes the referee's initial view of the field too important, as video footage can often be inconclusive.

“ICC should get rid of the soft signal and let the third referee, who has all the technology, make the decision, when the field judges send him upstairs, all the controversy is always around the soft signal being given, & # 34; Ben Stokes said after a controversial test decision between Australia and South Africa earlier this year.

In 2021, the Indian Premier League decided to remove the soft signal for decisions referred to a TV referee with the inclusion the field judges gave no indication as to whether they believed the player was caught cleanly when the ball was sent off. The experiment is considered by many to be a success.

The ICC has also made it mandatory for batsmen to wear helmets when facing fast bowlers in international cricket, as well as for goalkeepers standing on stumps and fielders who are near bat. «The committee decided it was best to make the use of helmets mandatory in certain positions to ensure the safety of the players,» said Ganguly.