ICC has one again become the a toothless tiger as the referral system that was re-introduced from this series has been scrapped from the test series between Sri Lanka and India, starting tomorrow at Ahmedabad. Officials say that they are under instructions of the ICC but the World governing body for the sport did not make any official statement to that effect till late last night.

Murali ‘yes’; Sachin no

In one of it's top level meetings, mid this year, the ICC board did approve that the referral system to take place in every single test series, starting from October 2009.

Before making the decision, it was tested more than twice and interestingly the first occasion was during the series between the same two teams in 2008 in Sri Lanka. Thereafter, it was tested again in a series between West Indies and Australia, before making the final decision.

Despite most of the leading cricketers of the world have shown their thumbs up for the trial, the ICC decision is not going to take place in the series between Sri Lanka and India.

When asked about whether referral system is not on, Sri Lankan team manager Brendon Kuruppu said "yes" without elaborating the reasons for the issue.

However, Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket taker in test and One Day International cricket is fully supportive of the referral system.

"I think it's a very good thing. Always batsmen are complaining. Sometimes bowlers are not happy. So then why don't we use technology?" Muralitharan said in an open discussion with the media gathering at his team hotel in Ahmedabad.

"If one is out, it's seen clearly. It doesn't affect the players. It doesn't affect the game and it doesn’t affect the umpires. So the best thing is to use the referral system whether people like it or not. Honestly that's what I feel because; you are not putting anyone under pressure" Muralitharan went on to say.

In the referral system, the wicket keeper plays a big role and one of the main reasons why Sri Lanka was so successful in their last series against India was the fact that then skipper Mahela Jayawardane was standing at first slip and he was ably backed by wicket keeper Prasanna Jayawardane.

In this series, Mahela and Prasanna are going to occupy the same places to add to the wits of skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

However Indian star Sachin Tendulkar is an open critic of the referral system.