England are facing growing criticism over moves to send coded messages to captain Eoin Morgan while the team is in the field.
During a T20 match against South Africa earlier this week, England's analyst, Nathan Leamon, was shown on TV placing large cards on clipboards on the team balcony.
The messages, such as '4E' and '2C' gave Morgan information as to possible match-ups between batsmen and bowlers.
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"It's a little help, a suggestion," wicketkeeper Jos Buttler said after the match.
"Eoin and Nathan work closely on analysis. It's just a little bit of an experiment.
"Eoin is one of the best captains in the world, a fantastic, instinctive captain, and there's a nice balance going on."
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan immediately condemned the move, tweeting that "the world has officially gone nuts".
https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1333830251605057538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In his column for the Telegraph, Vaughan said he wouldn't have considered such a move when he was in charge.
"If I were the England captain and the analyst suggested sending messages to me through signals from the dugout he would get short shrift," he wrote.
"Absolutely no chance would I let that happen. I love innovation and always encourage new ideas and thinking but there is very little an analyst can tell you from the sidelines that you do not already know.
"I would be a bit worried that Eoin Morgan, a World Cup-winning captain, and Jos Buttler behind the stumps, cannot react instinctively to what is happening on the field."
England said the system had been cleared with the ICC match referee before the game started, allaying fears of match-fixing.
During the 1999 World Cup, South African captain Hansie Cronje wore an earpiece to allow him to hear coach Bob Woolmer when the team was fielding, although the ICC moved quickly to outlaw such a tactic, noting that while it didn't break any rules, it was unfair.
England fast bowler Mark Wood played down the controversy after the match.
"I thought (the signs were) shoe sizes at one point," Wood said.
"I think it wouldn't honestly bother me. Until this morning, I honestly didn't even know about it. That's how much notice I took.
"I think it's good for the captain to have. Morgy's a very instinctive captain anyway, so I'm not sure he needs that much but it's great to have the information there. Nathan does a good job. So any little bit can help, but I'm not sure I'll be taking that much notice of it, too busy worrying about other things."
The ECB said the signals were "intended as a live informational resource that the captain may choose to use or ignore as he wishes".
"They are not commands or instructions and all decision-making takes place on the field," it added.
England won the match by nine wickets, chasing down South Africa's total of 3/191 with 14 balls to spare, thanks largely to an unbeaten 99 from 47 balls from Dawid Malan.
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