WELLINGTON, March 19: England captain Nasser Hussain has urged against rushing head-long into handing more power to cricket’s television umpires.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced it would trial increased use of technology at the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Sri Lanka in September.

Umpires would be able to call on television replays to rule on any decision, but the third umpire in the grandstand would only be given two replays to make their adjudication.

Currently, the third umpire can’t rule on caught behind or leg before wicket decisions, which are the most contentious in cricket.

“I’m pleased they’re having a look at it but I’d say the game has survived for a long time pretty well,” said Hussain Tuesday.

“Umpiring has become an issue, there’s been a lot of talk about it.

“Television has changed the game, in the old days you wouldn’t have so many replays and umpires weren’t under as much pressure.

“It must not be rushed in, it must be carefully covered and decisions made by the right people.”

Hussain said he was happy with the performance of umpires Asoka de Silva of Sri Lanka and New Zealand’s Brent Bowden in the first Test in Christchurch.

De Silva though, newly named on the ICC’s eight-strong international panel, was criticised in the media for making several poor decisions that may have been helped by the television umpire.

Hussain accepted umpires needed some help from technology but only to a point.

“We understand errors are made. In the last game I was pleased we had those two umpires, I think they are both very good,” he said.

“They might have made the odd mistake which they would hold their hands up to, but I wouldn’t be afraid of turning up again and playing under them.”—AFP