Pakistan opposed to third umpire appeals scheme

KARACHI, June 27 (Reuters) Pakistan are set to counter a proposal that will allow players to appeal decisions to the third umpire if the move is ratified at next week's International Cricket Council (ICC) annual meeting.

Last month, the ICC cricket committee put forward a plan that would allow sides to make three appeals to the third official per inning over decisions they doubted.

However, the appeal scheme will only be imposed on an experimental basis at the Champions Trophy in India later this year if it is ratified by the ICC executive board at its July 2 meeting in London.

''We are opposed to this proposal and we will put across our point of view strongly to the ICC,'' PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told Reuters today.

''We conducted a survey of 35 of our players and umpires and 33 of them are opposed to this law,'' he added.

''They feel it will undermine the spirit of the game and the umpire's authority even if it experimented with in the Champions Trophy.'' Khan added that Pakistan will also push the ICC to allow the country to host six-day test matches during winter to offset the loss of playing time due to poor light and weather conditions.

''The ICC rejected our earlier request but we have not given up and we think we might get a chance to go for bilateral arrangements,'' he added.

''If the ICC does not allow six-day tests nor floodlights then they must come up with a viable solution because this is a real problem for us in winter.'' REUTERS DH BD1722