'Needs to be sacked': Mitchell Starc fumes at controversial Snicko
What's the story
The Snickometer technology has come under fire in the 3rd Ashes Test between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval. On Day 1, Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey survived a nick, costing England a review. Despite the Snicko showing a spike, it came a few frames after the ball passed the bat. This technical glitch continued on Day 2, leading to Australia's Mitchell Starc lashing out at the Decision Review System (DRS) technology.
Ongoing issues
Snicko controversy continues on Day 2
The Snicko problems on the second successive day left both teams frustrated. Starc was heard demanding the technology "to be sacked" after England's Jamie Smith survived a loud appeal. The incident happened when Pat Cummins bowled a well-directed bouncer at the wicketkeeper-batter, forcing him to jump and defend. Usman Khawaja dived forward from the slips to catch what seemed like a clean catch, but replays showed it had hit Smith's helmet instead of his gloves.
Technology backlash
Stump mic catches Starc's outburst
After the decision, Starc was heard saying, "Snicko needs to be sacked. That's the worst technology there is... They made a mistake the other day and made another today." Soon after, another controversy erupted when Smith was given out on 22 despite the replays showing daylight between bat and ball. It all happened after Smith missed a pull shot off Cummins, prompting Australia to appeal for a catch behind.
Incident
Previous DRS controversy related to Carey
The latest Snicko controversy comes a day after Australia batsman Alex Carey survived a caught-behind appeal. The technology detected a sound, but it did not match the ball passing the bat during replays. While the on-field decision went in Carey's favor, England reviewed the call. Snicko detected a sound, but it didn't match the ball passing the bat during replays and upheld the original decision.
Information
Snicko under the scanner
The latest set of controversies has once again put Snicko's role in DRS under the spotlight. In pivotal moments that could turn the tide, there are calls for clearer guidelines and more consistency from this technology.
Snickometer
Snickometer's role in DRS
Snickometer, also known as Snicko or Real-Time Snicko, is a DRS technology that works by syncing stump-mic audio with slow-motion video. This is done to spot a sound spike at the frame the ball passes the bat, indicating the possibility of an edge. Umpires use this alongside other DRS technologies for referrals. These include ball-tracking and Hawk-Eye for judging the ball's trajectory.