- Dec 2, 2024
- Apr 27, 2023
The Test Championship final is fast approaching. The Cricket Governing Body, in this regard, has decided to do away with the soft signal rule. The ruling will be in place for the marquee clash. India and Australia will face off each other at the final. It will be played between 7 and 11 June, 2023. The match will take place at the Oval Cricket Ground. Many of the cricket pundits were not a fan of the soft signal rule once it was enforced.
According to the rules set by the Cricket Governing Body, a “Soft Signal is the visual communication by the bowler’s end umpire to the third umpire (accompanied by additional information via two-way radio where necessary) of his/her initial on-field decision prior to initiating an Umpire Review.”
The call taken by the Cricket Governing Body on the same has been intimated to the two finalists India and Australia according to a Cricbuzz report.
“Should both on-field umpires require assistance from the third umpire to make a decision, the bowler’s end umpire shall firstly take a decision on-field after consulting with the striker’s end umpire, before consulting by two-way radio with the third umpire.”
“Such consultation shall be initiated by the bowler’s end umpire to the third umpire by making the shape of a TV screen with his/her hands, followed by a Soft Signal of Out or Not out made with the hands close to the chest at chest height.”
“If the third umpire advises that the replay evidence is inconclusive, the on-field decision communicated at the start of the consultation process shall stand.” The rule further elaborates.
Along with this, another decision taken is the use of artificial floodlights in the game if natural light becomes low. The Test Championship final will also have a reserve day to the normal five days. India will be playing their second Test Championship final on English soil. They lost the 2021 final against New Zealand which was held at Edgbaston. Australia, on the other hand, will play their first Test Championship final.
Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter:
if the umpire's call also be removed, it would be great.
— _mr_Stoic_ (@Mr_Stoic45) May 15, 2023
About time. Soft Signal had to go. The whole nonsense goes by how confidently the fielders celebrate and such. Not by whether the umpire really saw what happened. In the deep whether the player took the catch cleanly etc umpires have no chance of known what really happened.
— MayilaiMadhu (@Mayilaimadhu) May 15, 2023
@cricketaakash is happiest man now . pic.twitter.com/ECIFO0HpqK
— Shubham Raghuwanshi (@boynEXttdooor) May 15, 2023
Remove umpires call aswell that would do so much justice to the game.
— Dubbaka Sai vardhan (@DubbakaVardhan) May 15, 2023
not only the soft signal .. also the umpire’s call should be removed permanently.. truth always should be the same .. it cannot be changed with the side of onfield umpire’s decision
— Pritish Biswas (@pritishbiswas15) May 15, 2023
What IPL thinks today, ICC thinks tomorrow
— Varun Giri (@Varungiri0) May 15, 2023
They should also remove "umpire's call" for ever. If you want DRS, then go with what the technology decides. It is ridiculous for the same DRS, there could be two decisions depending on what umpire had decided. @BCCI @ICC
— S Ramasubramanian (@Srsmanian72) May 15, 2023
Phew. That was fast. pic.twitter.com/maCHtMeSmE
— A. (@incognito_ffs) May 15, 2023
Good decision.They should remove umpire’s call as well.
— Simha (@ImSimha45) May 15, 2023
They might altogether remove the umpire from the next WTC Final
— Pichaa Paati (@Pichaa_paati) May 15, 2023