JOHANNESBURG, Jan 16 - England's Cricket Board
(ECB) called on Saturday for the reinstatement of the umpiring
referral they lost in the final test against South Africa.
England coach Andy Flower criticised the International
Cricket Council on Friday after South Africa captain Graeme
Smith survived a review from third umpire Daryl Harper following
an appeal for caught behind.
"The ECB accepts that the decision must remain concerning
the dismissal, but has issued a formal appeal following play on
day two and contends that the lost referral must be reinstated,"
the ECB statement said.
The ECB statement quoted chairman Giles Clarke as saying:
"We have grave concerns about how this process was implemented
and I will be addressing the issue at the highest levels within
ICC during this match."
England were convinced Smith had edged the ball and Flower
said Harper had erred by not turning up the volume on his feed
from the stump microphone, adding that the England camp could
clearly hear an edge on the television sets in their dressing
room.
Smith, on 15 at the time, went on to make 105 as South
Africa took a stranglehold on a test they need to win to square
the four-match series.
The ICC had earlier issued a statement saying Flower was
incorrect in saying the volume had not been turned up on
Harper's television feed.
"There have also been suggestions...that Mr Harper had
turned down the feed volume," the ICC said.
"It is clarified that the volume on the third umpire's feed,
right throughout the series, had been configured to optimise the
quality of the audio, by both an SABC [South African
Broadcasting Corporation] Head Engineer and the ICC technical
advisor."
(Reporting by Ken Borland; Editing by Kevin Fylan. To query
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