Thakur: 'BCCI open to DRS if it’s close to perfection'

After Virat Kohli's indication last week of India using the DRS in the future, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said that the board will be ready to use the technology if it's "close to perfection".

“BCCI is open to the DRS. But is the technology 100 percent foolproof?" asked BCCI chief Anurag Thakur.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Anurag Thakur said the board will accept Decision Review System (DRS) if its "close to perfection."

Thakur today said he would discuss the use of DRS at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) quarterly Chief Executives Committee (CEC) meeting in Cape Town during October 9-13.

“We will again look at the performance of the DRS. If it’s satisfactory, BCCI is open to use the DRS. We are hosting 13 Tests at home this season, then why not? It all depends on the feedback and the outcome of the latest trials on DRS,” Thakur told the media at an informal interaction on the sidelines of the second Test between India and New Zealand.

“In the digital age of 21st century, there’s nothing which is stopping us to use the technology. We believe in that. We want to be close to perfection if not perfect.”

He further said India's coach Anil Kumble, who is the chairman of the ICC cricket committee, was looking into the matter.

“We want to make it foolproof (DRS), that’s the idea. We have Kumble, who represents the cricket committee and he’s the coach. He can discuss it with (skipper) Virat Kohli and can put the suggestions forward.

“If umpires are getting 95-97 percent of the decisions and the same the with DRS then what’s the change? So the only issue is if not 100 per cent then how better we can do than the field umpires.

“BCCI is open to the DRS. But is the technology 100 percent foolproof? There were shortcomings. We have told the cricket committee in ICC too look into the DRS and the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was supposed to give a report.”

“In the CEC meeting of ICC in Edinburgh, even the ICC said they need more time. BCCI is always open about reforms if you see the last 18 months.”

Kohli, on the eve of the second Test, had strongly indicated that India would start using the DRS in the future.

In ICC 50-over tournaments, India is forced to use DRS, but that uniformity does not extend to Tests because they are seen as bilateral arrangements.