Bowden backs television replays in cricket

Wellington:

Leading umpire Billy Bowden has endorsed cricket's umpiring review system, saying it will improve player behavior and reduce stress on match officials.

The system, which allows players to refer umpires' decisions to a television official for review, will be implemented in all test matches from October. Bowden told New Zealand's Sunday Star-Times newspaper the system would have many benefits for cricket, including reducing negative media coverage.

"Behavior will change, there is no doubt whatsoever," Bowden said in the interview published on Sunday.

"The reports that are made on players will change for the better. (Bad behavior) will be cut by half. The majority of the behavior is from an umpiring decision but if that can be corrected out on the field, then everyone moves on."

Bowden said the review system would lift the rate of correct decisions made by test umpires from about 95 per cent to 99 per cent.

"If we can do that without taking away the human element, it's going to be a huge bonus and a positive step for the betterment of cricket," he said. "Before, you made a decision and you had to live with it for the rest of the day, rest of the session, rest of the test match.

"It's on the players' mind. The public say 'what a shocker' and the papers give it to you in the morning."