The International Cricket Council plans to implement an umpire decision review system at next year's World Cup to avoid the refereeing errors that have plagued football's World Cup in South Africa. A review system will be in place for the 2011 tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh if an agreement can be reached with broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat told reporters Thursday. “We've just seen in another World Cup that is going on what happens when match officials get the decisions wrong,” Lorgat said after the ICC's annual conference in Singapore. “It can have a significant impact on the outcome of a game. “We're very keen to use the decision review system at the upcoming World Cup.” Host members would decide whether to use the review system in home Test series, Lorgat said. The ICC Cricket Committee said in May that the system will be the same as the one currently used, with a 15-second window for a team to decide whether to ask for a review. The third umpire will signal after 10 seconds to the umpire in the middle, who will then inform the captain he has another 5 seconds to make his decision. “There are a few issues around cost and the availability of technology that we still must work hard at overcoming,” Lorgat said. Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard failed in his bid to become vice president of the ICC after his name was withdrawn Wednesday because of insufficient support. Lorgat declined to comment on which members didn't support Howard or why. The ICC asked Cricket Australia and Cricket New Zealand, which jointly proposed Howard for the job, to submit a new candidate by Aug. 31. Howard defiant Howard, however, said he will not step aside as the nominee for the ICC's vice presidency. Howard said he had been given no indication as to why his candidacy was blocked by a reported six of the 10 major cricketing nations at the ICC's meeting in Singapore. “Even in private discussions they are very reluctant to give a reason,” Howard told Australia's Sky News. “I won't be withdrawing,” Howard said. “I wanted to do this job, I wanted to do it well and I would have devoted my full time to it.” CA and NZC said Wednesday they were “deeply disappointed” with the decision. Sharad Pawar was named the ICC's new president, replacing David Morgan. Pawar said he is happy to encourage a resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan, which were disrupted after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. Pawar, who succeeded England's David Morgan as ICC president following the governing body's annual conference in Singapore, said the recent visits of India's home minister and foreign secretary to Pakistan for talks were welcome signs. He said Thursday there is a feeling at the International Cricket Council that when India and Pakistan start playing cricket, there is an improvement in their relationship. India's government advised its cricket authorities not to proceed with a scheduled visit to Pakistan after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, which India blamed on Pakistani militants. India was to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 international in Pakistan in early 2009.
