DUBAI // Clive Lloyd wants to see an end to neutral umpires in Test cricket, arguing that the best officials should be able to stand in matches involving their own national team. When Lloyd's West Indies team dominated international cricket in the 1970s and 80s, the two standing umpires were always provided by the host nation. In a bid to ward off increasing animosity over sporadic claims of hometown bias, the ICC adopted a policy of having independent umpires at either end from the 1990s onwards. Lloyd, who is the chairman of the ICC cricket committee, is now part of a task-force charged with investigating the merits of the Umpire Decision Review System. And he believes the increased use of technology will assist a move back to a policy of selecting umpires on merit, no matter their nationality. "Why shouldn't an English umpire, or an Australian umpire, be allowed to umpire at home?" queried Lloyd. "Why are you telling me that I am elite? If I am an elite soldier I will be sent to the front. If I am an elite businessman I am going to be upstairs doing deals. "Cricket is no different. If we are going to say these are the best people then I can't see why they can't stand in a home Test. "We have to trust the system and trust the people. I trust all umpires. I don't think there are any who go out there to cheat. "They want to move up, and you can only do that by being a very good umpire. I think that is one way of showing people we have moved on, if you can have one home and one away umpire."
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