The Decision Review System (DRS) is once again at the centre of a storm during the Ashes, with Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc caught on a stump microphone calling for the controversial 'Snicko' technology to be sacked.
Starc's Explosive On-Field Comments
During the final session of play on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval, Starc was clearly heard expressing his fury. "Snicko needs to be sacked," he declared. "That's the worst technology there is. They make a mistake the other day and they make another mistake today."
His comments came after umpires called for off-field assistance to determine if England's Jamie Smith had been caught by Usman Khawaja. Smith had missed a hook shot off Pat Cummins, with the ball travelling to slip. Replays, aided by the Snickometer, suggested the ball had struck the batter's helmet, not his glove, leading to a not-out decision that left the Australian fielders querying the call.
A Series of Costly Technological Errors
This incident followed a major controversy from the first day of the Test, which had aggrieved England. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey, then on 72, survived a caught behind appeal after DRS review. Replays showed a noise spike on Snicko before the ball reached Carey's bat, leading to the original 'out' decision being overturned.
Later, the operators of the technology, BBG Sports, admitted a "technical error" was at fault. The company's founder, Warren Brennan, stated that the Snicko operator must have selected the incorrect stump microphone for audio processing and took full responsibility. Carey later admitted he had heard a noise as the ball passed the bat.
Match referee Jeff Crowe agreed a fault had occurred and reinstated England's lost review, but the tourists are expected to raise the issue formally with the International Cricket Council.
Ponting and Saker Question Substandard Tech
The situation has led to high-profile criticism of the DRS infrastructure used in Australia. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting told Channel Seven that the technology employed locally is inferior. "This technology that we are using here is simply not as good as technology that's used in other countries," Ponting said. "You talk to the umpires, they'll tell you the same thing. They can't trust it."
England's bowling coach, David Saker, echoed the frustration after play on Wednesday. He suggested the calibration of Snicko had been "out quite a bit" throughout the series and that such errors hurt during pivotal moments. Australia is the only nation to use the Real-Time Snickometer (RTS), with other countries relying on a system called UltraEdge.
With the series poised delicately and trust in the review system eroding, calls for an urgent review of the technology by Cricket Australia and the ICC are growing louder.
