May 8, 2006: The timing of ICC elite panel umpire Steve Bucknor’s accusations against TV production companies couldn’t have been better. They coincided with ICC’s announcement about a new rule about to be tried out in the Champions Trophy. The supreme body of cricket said captains will be allowed to appeal against the decisions of the field umpires three times. Who will give the verdict in such an appeal? Third umpire. And how will he give his verdict? By looking at the replays.

The field umpires are already dummies but this will reinforce their status. The third umpire will be powerful but the TV producer will be even more powerful.

You only have to think about all those things TV producers do to sex up cricket coverage to realise the truth in Bucknor’s outburst. If they bring in Mandira Bedi and skimpily clad girls from the audience to jazz up cricket, they would also do anything else.

What Bucknor complained about is that during certain matches the TV producers either tampered with replay or were selective in offering angles to the third umpire. The idea, said Bucknor, was to show the umpire in a bad light or to protect a certain bastsman. If true, this is nothing short of match-fixing.

Already, it has come to such a pass that the game can’t be run without TV images. Suppose power goes off and can’t be restored for one hour. When the field umpire who asks for replay at the drop of a bail, the game will come to a standstill.

Till now, you appealed to the umpire. Now you can appeal against an umpire. What might have been construed as dissent is now officially encouraged. It might sound like a cliché but imperfections are what makes cricket different, and according to some, more charming. The new move by the ICC, apparently, is to arrive at perfect decisions with the help of technology.

Imperfections are a part of the game. Think about it. Which other game is played with long pants and full sleeves? OK, the game has become athletic but if they want to ‘improve’ the game that has arguably become more athletic, why not go for shorts? What makes Anil Kumble or Venkatapati Raju sportsmen is because they play this particular game which calls for more brain than brawn.

It is really a wonder how people like Malcolm Speed ever got into cricket and it’s not a surprise if they go for such stupid reforms but what is Sunil Gavaskar doing as head of the cricket committee? What about other member cricketers? Not long ago, every kid who played knew every rule in the book. Now it is doubtful if even the so-called experts know all the new rules. Power play? Super sub? What about the sudden death that was tried out in some matches ala the penalty shootout in football?

One suggestion. Why not reseve all these innovations in 20/20 cricket and leave the real game alone so that we can watch in peace? One day, it seems, they will mess it all up and regret when it is too late.