The MCC supports the neutral Referee Test policy amid calls for reform

 The Marylebone Cricket Club, which is considered the keeper of the game law, has supported neutral referees in Test matches despite calls for improvement after the opening Ashes Test was marred by a number of bad decisions.

A total of 10 decisions by West Indian referees Joel Wilson and Aleem Dar Pakistan were canceled by the Decision Review System during the Edgbaston Test last week. There are at least five more errors that are not reviewed.

Standing only in the 13th Test, Wilson equaled the record for reversal when eight of his decisions were successfully petitioned by the players.

But even though there were many mistakes, MCC insisted that arising from a neutral Test was still the best way forward.

"It was clearly a bit focused after the last match. Ricky Ponting mentioned the prospect of bringing back a non-neutral referee and that was also being discussed by the ICC Cricket Committee. But that feeling is neutral, it still works, "MCC Cricket Chair John Stephenson was quoted as saying by the media here.

At present, seven of the 12 strong elite panels are from the UK or Australia and Stephenson said the watch's need is to invest more in raising referee standards worldwide.

During the MCC Cricket Committee's two-day meeting at Lord's on Monday, which was attended by MCC chairman Mike Gatting, Stephenson and panel members Shane Warne and Kumar Sangakkara, it was also decided to increase the number of referees in the ICC's elite panel.

"Unfortunately there is quite an imbalance with elite-level ICC referee panels where you have certain referees who decide in certain series. "But we think it's time for the base to expand and to train more referees to reach the elite level," Stephenson said.

"Overall, we think neutrality works. But with DRS and technology maybe it's something we need to see in the future.

"In cricket one day we had one referee who was not neutral and at Twenty20 we also had it. Maybe further down it could be something, "he added.

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