New Delhi, June 22: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to come up with a new experiment from October to help the umpires make accurate leg before wicket decisions. According to ICC cricket manager Dave Richardson, the new experiment will see a white line drawn between the stumps at two ends that will help the umpires decide whether the batsman was on line of the stumps or not. "We haven't decided whether to use an unbroken or dotted white line. But this is an experiment worth introducing", Richardson, a former South African wicketkeeper, was quoted as saying in British newspaper 'The Guardian'. The experiment is intended to give umpires the same advantage as television viewers who are in a better position to judge decisions from wicket to wicket. The experiment has been adopted by the ICC after discussion on the subject by the game's chief executives at Lord's last week.

As rules have existed till now, an umpire could turn to the television umpire for advice on certain lbw decisions, particularly if the ball has pitched outside the leg stump.

Though the new rule is expected to favour batsmen as it will allow them know exactly where their off-stump is located, it will place at least slow bowlers at a great disadvantage.

Bureau Report