Left red-faced after thepowerful BCCI opposed the Decision Review System at theExecutive Board Meeting here, the ICC today said that it willnot force India to accept the controversial technology inbilateral series.
With India unrelenting in its opposition to the DRS, theICC Board did not ratify the Chief Executive Committee'srecommendation for universal application of the DRS and thenew Chief Executive Dave Richardson defended the decision.
Addressing a press conference after taking over fromfellow South African Haroon Lorgat, Richardson said he wouldnot try to force India to accept the technology.
"I don't think (the ICC Board decision is) negative atall. We'll see DRS in the majority of series and there wouldbe no sense in forcing anything upon anybody. The point isthat the Board of Control for Cricket in India need to makethat decision for themselves. It's never good to take anyonekicking and screaming to do anything," Richardson said.
"The introduction of technology has always beencontroversial... but slowly but surely that's changed and Ithink we're pretty much at that point where everyone isaccepting, certainly at international level," he said.
The ICC was left red-faced at its Annual Conference herewhen its chief executives proposed mandatory DRS in Tests andODIs, only for the board to reject the move after India let itbe known that it could not accept the technology.
The issue was discussed by the ICC Board but was allowedto pass without voting. Richardson also denied that dealing with financiallypowerful India would be his main preoccupation as chiefexecutive.
"The bottom line is, the ICC board determines policy forthe ICC going forward. I don't think my job will involve anyspecial negotiations with India. A lot is made of that butthere are 10 full members and I think our task is a lot moresimple and a lot more practical than these high-level talksyou might imagine."