Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh has batted for a referral system to allow teams to challenge umpiring decisions.
Waugh, himself a big advocate of sticking with the human errors in cricket and restricting the use of technology for umpiring decisions, said issues related to umpiring blunders will have to be seen in a new light post the Sydney Test between India and Australia.
"This has always been a grey area and while I have been a great believer in human error being part of cricket because it grounds the game by sticking to its original principles, it also creates talking points and ensures players learn to take the good with the bad in the same manner as life unfolds," Waugh wrote in his column in The Daily Telegraph.
"However, the time now seems right for a player challenge system, which the MCC cricket committee has endorsed and hopes to work in conjunction with the ICC to put in to action shortly, particularly now as the TV viewer is exposed to advanced technology that leave umpires exposed and scrutinised as never before," he said.
The challenge system will be tried out at this year's Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan, with three referrals allowed per team.
Waugh, who gave sledging the more respectable name of 'mental disintegration' and used it effectively to rattle the opposition, said Test cricket will lose some colour if as there would be fewer words exchanged in the middle.
"At the end of the day India were appeased with the removal of Steve Bucknor, satisfied that Harbhajan will more than likely play the final two Tests while Australia may yet lose Brad Hogg in a tit-for-tat reaction."
"The most likely outcome from all of this will be from this day forward, Test cricket will have lost some of its colour and character because players will be forever scared to utter a word in the middle for fear of retribution," Waugh said.
He also conceded that Australian celebration at their record equalling 16-wins must have rubbed the Indian team the wrong way.
"What may have also disappointed the Indians was Australia's animated celebrations and delayed shaking of hands.
"I'll never forget watching the West Indies' exaggerated celebrations when they fortuitously beat us in a rain-affected one-day final before the Duckworth-Lewis system came into vogue and how deflated and agitated it left us," he said.
"Winning is important but perhaps more is how you celebrate it."
The former skipper said Harbhajan Singh is a respected opponent because he has taken the Aussies head-on with his performance and chit-chat on the field.
"Harbhajan, like many in the Australian team, enjoys the verbal jousting out in the middle and is never shy to express an opinion, react to banter or hand out some free advice during a period that has coincided with his stellar success in taking Australia head-on.
"For that he is a respected opponent. As is always the case, players know what's acceptable and what's not and my belief is that the Australians thought Harbhajan had crossed the line by neglecting a previous conversation, hence the reporting of the incident."
