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Kumble reviews pre-series pledge

Catching agreement in doubt after Sydney

Cricinfo staff

January 11, 2008

	Anil Kumble: "There will obviously be a big question mark moving forward" © AFP

Anil Kumble believes Australia's behaviour will play a big role in the continuation of the catching agreement he had with Ricky Ponting. Before the series the two captains said they would take the word of the fielder in relation to low takes, but after Sydney Kumble felt it would have to be reviewed.

"At this point, a few days before the big Test at Perth, I can tell you that that behaviour will play a big role in my decision on the continuation of the agreement," he wrote in his Hindustan Times column. "We had decided that in the case of a disputed catch, we would take the word of the fielder concerned, if he was certain.

"But that agreement was based on the premise that come what may, whatever the situation, the fielder concerned would be completely straight on what happened. Now, there will obviously be a big question mark moving forward on that."

The Test was filled with on- and off-field incidents over umpiring, race, sportsmanship, catching and walking. "I'd like to point out that someone [Michael Clarke] edged the ball to slips in the second innings of the Sydney Test, and stood there even when there was not an iota of doubt over the dismissal," Kumble wrote. "He then claimed a catch that showed more than reasonable doubt and said he was 100% certain it was clean."

Kumble said he hadn't spoken to Ponting about the agreement and would discuss the issue once he reached Perth. The third Test starts there on January 16.

© Cricinfo