Mitchell Starc has put pressure on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take responsibility for the Decision Review System (DRS), insisting that inconsistency in technology use is undermining confidence in the system.
There were a couple of questionable decisions involving Real Time Snicko in the Adelaide Test, and the left-arm pacer urged the governing body to step in.
The ECB and CA plan to lobby the ICC to review its protocols and systems as a result of the error with the issue of the host broadcasters having to pay for the technology set to be a key discussion point. Starc believes the process needs to be centralised.
Speaking after the just-concluded Test, the Australian pacer said he understands how fans, officials and broadcasters have become frustrated.
“The officials use it, right, so why doesn’t the ICC pay for it?,” he said. “And why is there not just one across the board? Why don’t we use the same technology in all different series? That’s going to perhaps create less confusion or less frustration.”
The DRS used by umpires is driven by the cost and availability of technology providers, and the preference of host broadcasters to pay for their services.
The ICC has two approved “sound-based edge detection technology” suppliers: RTS, which is used in Australia and is provided by BBG, and UltraEdge, which is used in the rest of the world.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said during the third Test that umpires “can’t trust” RTS and suggested that UltraEdge is superior.
Australia captain Pat Cummins was diplomatic, but did note RTS seemed to be different than UltraEdge. “The one here seems a little bit different to sometimes what you get overseas,” he said.
“There’s always a few murmurs. You’re hoping that it matches up if you’re the bowling team. Sometimes you are kind of just making sure that it’s all okay if you’re batting, even though you feel like you haven’t hit it. It sometimes doesn’t feel super consistent, but you just crack on whatever the umpire says.”
England had a review reinstated by match referee Jeff Crowe on the second morning after BBG Sports, the suppliers of Snicko, conceded operator error had led to an incorrect reprieve for Alex Carey during his opening-day century.
Another incident occurred on the second day that led to Starc being overheard on the stump microphone saying “Snicko needs to be sacked”.
Although UltraEdge is used in the BBL, there is no provision to change technology providers mid-series, with RTS set to be used for the final two Tests this Ashes series.
