No referrals in England-Bangladesh series

Cricket's controversial umpire decision review system (DRS) will not be used in the upcoming two-Tests between England and Bangladesh.

It was revealed yesterday, just two days before the series opener that talks between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and host broadcaster Sky failed to reach agreement on the allocation of costs for the system's use and so it will not feature at either Lord's, where the first Test starts tomorrow, or at Old Trafford, where the series finale begins a week on Friday.

A consequence of doing without DRS is that Pakistan's Aleem Dar, due to be the third umpire at Lord's, has been replaced by England's Richard Illingworth.

That is because the protocol for series without DRS is that the home board appoints the third umpire. Under DRS - which the ICC want used as extensively as possible in Tests - teams are allowed two referrals per innings where they can challenge an on-field umpire's decision, with the third umpire using television technology to decide whether the men in the middle have got it right.

However, this option won't be available in the England-Bangladesh series, where DRS was set to be used in England for the first time, although on-field officials will still be able to refer line decisions such as run-outs and stumpings to the third umpire.

An ICC spokesman told AFP via telephone yesterday: "Despite constructive negotiations with the host broadcaster (Sky) we have been unable to reach agreement on the allocation of costs for DRS. "The whole question of DRS costs will be raised at the next ICC board meeting in Singapore in June and, depending on the outcome of the board meeting, we may revisit the question of DRS for the rest of the English summer."

Pakistan play Australia in a two-Test neutral series in England in July before England take on Pakistan in a four-Test campaign.