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Sanga laments UDRS absence

Image: Sangakkara: UDRS fan

Kumar Sangakkara is disappointed the UDRS will not be used during Sri Lanka's Test series against India.

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Sri Lanka keen on system, India withold consent

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara is disappointed the umpire decision review system (UDRS) will not be used during the three-Test series against India. Under International Cricket Council rules, the host country must have the consent of their visitors in order to use the system, which allows teams to challenge the judgment of the on-field officials using television evidence and technology. The innovation was originally trialled in a 2008 series between the same teams in India. Sri Lanka made 11 successful reviews in the 2-1 series win, as opposed to India's one. India have vetoed its use for the upcoming contests in Sri Lanka, starting with the Galle Test from July 18-22.

Important

"As a player and a team, we are very much for the umpire decision review system," said Sangakkara. "At high levels of umpiring you get things right about 92 percent of the time. "But the eight percent is also now important at the high level the game is played these days." Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga believes the absence of the UDRS benefits nobody. "Not only for Sri Lanka, it's a disadvantage for India as well," he said. "It's a disadvantage for all the players." India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, however, felt it was premature to push for the UDRS to become a permanent fixture. "It's still not a 100 percent correct system," said Dhoni. "Let's wait and see until the ICC comes up with a foolproof plan."