Bipin Dani
Former Australian top order batsman and the ICC match referee David Boon, who will be officiated in the upcoming five T-20I matches between Australia and Sri Lanka will meet the team management of both sides before the commencement of the series scheduled on 11th February to decide on the duration of the drinks- interval, it is learnt.
The ICC has announced that an optional drinks break of two minutes and thirty seconds might be taken at the midpoint of each innings subject to agreement between Members at the start of each series.
"Reduction of time is optional and is not decided yet but will be discussed before the series begins", one of the sources in Australia, said exclusively.
"The drinks interval between the two innings is 20 minutes but the match-referee can reduce it up to 15 minutes", the source further added.
According to the former ICC umpire Daryl Harper, who now also officiates as a match-referee in domestic matches in Australia, the duration of drinks interval in each session is immaterial.
"The players have access to drinks at virtually any time in the match as it is currently between overs and also at the fall of a wicket", he said.
India's veteran cricket umpires say, the duration of 2 minutes and 30 seconds will be "dicey to handle and implement".
India's Vinayak Kulkurni, who has coached the umpires and was a Development Manager for the Indian umpires, said, "150 seconds is too less for drinks to reach the middle, which is on an average 65 yards, and more at some other venues like Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia".
"It may not be impossible but too tight for the drinks-men to reach there and come off the same distance and also allowing the on-field umpires and field players to get hydrated".
"The decision may have been taken to hasten the T-20 matches. Ideally it should have been four minutes, which is generally the case in the Tests and ODIs".
"Considering the average over rate, a 4-minute drink interval is given and in no circumstances, it exceeds 5-minutes", he added.
