Currently, the issue over Snicko is dominating day one of the AUS and ENG third Ashes Test that is being held at the Adelaide Oval, with Australians questioning the edge technology used by elite cricket bodies. The response to this came following controversial decisions made by the technology over the first two days of play.
Mitchell Starc’s Blunt Verdict on Snicko
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc didn’t have much to say about the disputed decision with Snicko again. Starc was caught saying that “Snicko needs to be sacked,” indicating frustration following what the Australian team felt was another wrong decision.
This happened after a close call when Jamie Smith managed to survive a review, just a day after Alex Carey managed to benefit from an admitted operator error.
Carey Reprieve Sparks First Alarm
England were given a second referral on Day 1 after a plea from the supplier of Snicko technology, BBG Sports, who conceded that operator mistake resulted in a mistaken reprieve of Alex Carey while he was scoring a century. The match official, Jeff Crowe, ordered a referral on the second day. This led to the ECB planning to approach the ICC to re-evaluate Snicko protocols and operating standards.
The Jamie Smith Trial Spawns Australian Anger
The Australians were left even more frustrated with the decision to not give Jamie Smith not out in a possible edge off Pat Cummins. The TV umpire, Chris Gaffaney, declared that the ball touched the helmet of the Australian batsman, not his glove, according to Snicko evidence.
The Australian players were sure that the ball touched the glove, thus adding more fuel to the fire in the AUS vs ENG match concerning the Snicko spot.
Ironically, Smith was given out just two overs later, with Snicko indicating a clear spike just about When, and in spite of this, this is clearly consistent with a certain margin of error.
Soft Signal Removal Challenged
Former top umpire Simon Taufel has added his two cents, speaking out against ICC’s removal of the soft signal two years ago. He emphasized that technology should help umpires, not replace them. As Taufel states, the lack of soft signals has meant that marginal decisions have tended substantially in favour of the batsmen.
“It has been a mess, and unless something changes, it probably will stay that way,” his comments sparked renewed questions
Snicko vs Ultra-Edge: The Technology Stakes
Snicko, which is formally known as the Real-Time Snickometer, is one of the two edge-detection technologies approved by the ICC. The choice of technology is decided by the host broadcaster. Snicko appears to be the less expensive choice, creating concerns regarding cost in relation to accuracy Some experts feel that UltraEdge is far more reliable, especially during high-pressure series such as AUS and ENG.
Cricket Australia Seeks Explanations
Cricket Australia CEO, Todd Greenberg, has confirmed that Cricket Australia is unhappy regarding these errors.
“CA is asking for assurances that these mistakes do not happen again,” he said. CA is addressing the technology firms directly in a technological failure case like this one
Any modifications in this technology or protocol would need to be approved by the ICC cricket committee and the chief executives’ committee.
Reactions from the England Camp
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick admitted that it was not an ideal situation in the test match, warning that “both teams have certainly faced some questionable decisions.”
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He requested the governing body of cricket to handle this matter internally to ensure all things remained equal.
Ponting Adds Weight to Criticism
Ricky Ponting, the former captain of Australia, highly criticized the use of Snicko:
Alleged that “the technology used in Australia is inferior to systems elsewhere in the world. There are much newer systems elsewhere.”
Claims
“These umpires have little trust in the results they are getting,” Dubin says
However, as Ponting clarified, decision-makers should not have any doubts in their faith in technology. Lyon Keeps Mug on DRS Row Australian spin bowling sensation Nathan Lyon deliberately chose not to make any remarks on the issue at the press conference held right after the play.
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