'Bucknor's allegation a serious matter'

Former India Test batsman G R Viswanath on Monday urged the International Cricket Council to look into the "serious" allegation levelled by senior ICC Elite Panel umpire Steve Bucknor that television production crews are doctoring images.

"It's a serious matter, the ICC must see to it. They have to work out something," Viswanath told newspersons in Kolkata.

Bucknor accused television companies of misusing technology which is creating mistrust between players and umpires. The crews doctored the images to show umpires in poor light and favour popular batsmen, he said.

Viswanath, a former ICC match referee, said a person of Bucknor's calibre and experience would not have made such an allegation if he had not experienced it.

He, however, refused to be drawn further into the subject.

"I don't know against which production company he [Bucknor] has complained. So I can't comment on it".

On the ICC's latest decision to allow players to make a limited number of appeals to the third umpire in case of difference of opinion with the on-field umpire during the ICC Champions Trophy in India, Viswanath said: "This is only being done on an experimental basis. But I do not think the rule will be there for ever".

"Earlier, the ICC had experimented with the rule that leg before decisions could be referred to the third umpire. It had also experimented with the Supersub rule in one-dayers. But as most of the captains did not agree with the Supersub system, it was abolished," he said.

"And whether the new rule will become permanent depends on the captains," Viswanath said.

Viswanath, however, did not agree that too much reliance on technology amounted to challenging the authority of on-field umpires.

"Earlier, people used to say that though technology is there, we are not using those. But now that it is being used, some new questions are being raised," he said.