Referrals change for England tour

Panesar and England will only have two unsuccessful referrals per innings

The International Cricket Council has changed the regulations regarding referrals of umpire decisions for the forthcoming West Indies-England series.

In the last year, the ICC has been conducting a trial allowing players to refer decisions made by on-field umpires to the TV official.

However, in the West Indies, both sides will be allowed only two unsuccessful challenges per innings, not three.

The change has been made following feedback from players and officials.

If it proves successful, the modified two-challenge rule will also be introduced for Australia's Test tour to South Africa, which is the last tour included in the referral trial.

We want to get it right before we consider applying it to international cricket on a permanent basis

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat

"The umpire decision review system trial has so far received mostly positive feedback from players and officials but we want to get it right before we consider applying it to international cricket on a permanent basis," said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

"It has become clear during the trial so far that three unsuccessful reviews per innings is too many as there is potential there for frivolous or unnecessary reviews to be made by one side or the other."

Normal regulations permit only the on-field umpires alone to decide whether a decision needs to be passed on to the replay official.

Even then, they can only refer "line" decisions - such as run-outs, stumpings or boundaries - or incidents where catches may have been grounded.

But where the referral trial is in effect, the batsman on the receiving end of the umpire's original decision or the captain of the fielding side can appeal by making a "T" sign with both forearms at shoulder height.

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The trial was launched last summer for India's tour of Sri Lanka and was also used in New Zealand's recent home series against West Indies.

Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan became the first player to successfully challenge a decision when he was adjudged to have been caught behind and the third umpire decided in his favour.

An experiment to allow players to challenge decisions was first attempted in English county cricket's Friends Provident Trophy in 2007.

But it was not regarded as a great success by the players - and the experiment was dropped after one season after no decisions made by on-field umpires were reversed.