ASHES SNICKO SAGA

The ongoing Ashes series in Adelaide has turned into more than just runs and wickets, with players, officials and analysts losing patience with the Snicko system used in the Decision Review System (DRS).

What was supposed to take the guesswork out of big calls has sparked confusion and fury on both sides of the rivalry.

Trouble began on day one of the third Test when Australia’s Alex Carey appeared to edge a delivery from England’s Josh Tongue. Despite a clear audio spike on Snicko suggesting contact, the technology’s replay showed the sound before the ball was near the bat, and the TV umpire controversially upheld the on-field “not out” call.

Carey went on to make a crucial century after the reprieve, a mistake that BBG Sports, the Snicko operator, later acknowledged was due to human error in selecting the wrong microphone.

On day two, England’s Jamie Smith was involved in multiple contentious decisions, including one where Snicko’s spike arrived a frame late.

Cricket Australia’s CEO, Todd Greenberg, didn’t mince words, calling the Snicko blunders “not good enough” and warning that more answers are needed from the technology’s makers to ensure these kinds of errors don’t repeat. He said the whole purpose of DRS tech is to remove glaring howlers, not create them.

England’s camp has also raised concerns, with batting coach Marcus Trescothick urging the “powers that be” to sort out the mess, and former umpire Simon Taufel suggesting the removal of the “soft signal” years ago has made things worse.

Image credit: Sky Sports