definition graphics, the Umpire Decision Review System is drawing flak at the World Cup as the men in the middle endure trial by TV. The system, which allows teams to question an official's on-field decision, is being used for the first time in a World Cup after making its debut during the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in November 2009. But India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes the system is flawed and was furious that his side was denied a wicket following a review in its epic tie with England Sunday. India spinner Yuvraj Singh thought he had Ian Bell lbw on review when the batsman had made just 17, with replays showing the ball would have hit the stumps. Bell was given not out by New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden but had started to walk off. However, the decision was returned to Bowden by Australian replay official Rod Tucker and the Kiwi deemed Bell to be too far down the pitch to be dismissed. “The adulteration of technology with human thinking meant we didn't get that (Bell) wicket,” said Dhoni, whose country refuses to use the system in home series. He was unhappy with the instruction to umpires that says if a batsman is more than 2.5 meters down the pitch he should be given not out, unless the ball would have hit middle stump. It was not certain if Bell's middle stump would have been knocked over but Dhoni said: “If Hawk-Eye says it's good and going to hit middle stump, I see no reason why the distance matters.” Bell went on to make 69 and shared a crucial third-wicket partnership of 170 with captain Andrew Strauss. At the World Cup, the UDRS is missing two of its vital aids – the Hot Spot and the Snickometer. The Hot Spot is an infra-red imaging system used to determine whether the ball has struck the batsman's bat or pad while Snickometer is used to ascertain if the ball touched the bat on its way to the wicketkeeper. The unavailability of the Hot Spot and Snickometer means the third umpire only has the ball-tracker or Hawk-Eye, slow-motion replays and the stump microphone at his disposal. The review system came under early scrutiny during Sri Lanka's World Cup opener with Canada. Mahela Jayawardene, who scored a match-winning century, was the focus of two referrals from Canada for caught behind decisions, both of which went against the minnows. TV replays in both cases were inconclusive and the benefit of doubt was given to the batsman. Former Australian umpire Darrell Hair was scathing in his criticism of the review system, calling it detrimental to an umpire's confidence. “If the game is going to sap the confidence of umpires to that extent, where they cannot trust their own calls to be made on basic bread-and-butter decisions, then the system has failed them,” he said in comments carried by the Herald Sun newspaper. Bresnan, England sanctioned Tim Bresnan has been reprimanded for equipment abuse and the England team has been fined because of its slow over rate during its tie with India. The ICC Monday said it took action against Bresnan because “after he was clean bowled by Piyush Chawala (sic), hit the stumps with his bat.” Bresnan accepted the decision and there will be no hearing. The ICC noted that Bresnan had apologized for something he said was unintentional, and it also took into account the fact that it was his first offense. The England team, meanwhile, was fined for its slow over rate. Captain Andrew Strauss was fined 20 percent of his match fee and the rest of the team 10 percent. Kumar becomes youngest World Cup player at 16 Canada opener Nitish Kumar became the youngest player to play at cricket's World Cup, but had little to celebrate other than the milestone. The batsman took to the field for his team's Group A match against Zimbabwe at just 16 years, 283 days. The oldest player at this year's tournament, Davison used to play club cricket with Kumar's father and first saw his teammate bat at just 6 years old. Kumar beat the previous mark, set when Bangladesh's Talha Jubair played against the West Indies in 2003 at 17 years, 70 days.
