It was business-as-usual for on-field umpires to signal a ‘T’, which denoted the ‘strategic time-out’, during the Indian Premier League (IPL) games. Since the Decision Review System (DRS), which is also denoted by the ‘T’ signal, will be implemented from this season, the Board of Control For Cricket in India (BCCI) has come up with a plan to differentiate between the signals.
Ahead of the eleventh edition of the IPL, the umpires and match referees attended a workshop conducted by the Indian cricket board and got briefed about a new signal which will be used to announce the time-out. According to several media reports, to avoid any confusion between the decisions, the umpires will show their wristwatch area with raised hands to signal time-out to the teams.
According to a TOI report, around 15 referees along with match officials attended the two-day workshop. Javagal Srinath, Manu Nayyar, ICC umpires coach Dennis Burns, Anil Chaudhary, Nandan, C Shamshuddin and Nitin Menon had a discussion on various match related issues and new changes.
When exactly is strategic time-out announced?
Just like the previous seasons, the fielding team can ask for a break between the sixth and ninth overs. On the other hand, the batsmen can demand the same between 13th and 16th overs. Each time-out lasts for two-and-a-half minutes for each team in the innings.
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This is the first time that the DRS system has been introduced in the cash-rich tournament. Earlier, the BCCI was reluctant to implement such a referral system. But finally, after a series of discussions and meetings with a panel of domestic umpires and their coaches appointed by the ICC, the use of this technology was given the necessary nod.
