DRS TO MAKE DEBUT IN ZIMBABWE IN SECOND TEST
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2016 2:25 pm
The Decision Review System will make a long-awaited
debut in Zimbabwe during their second Test against Sri
Lanka after some last-minute additions to the available
technology have made its implementation possible.
Having borne the brunt of a catalogue of poor umpiring
decisions in their past three Tests, Zimbabwe are hopeful
that the introduction of DRS will help level the playing
field as they look to bounce back from a 225-run defeat
in the first Test.
The DRS will also be used in the triangular one-day
series that follows.
While Zimbabwe have never objected to the use of the
DRS on principle, the cost of hiring the technology has
previously made it prohibitive. However pressure from
overseas broadcasters to improve television production of
Zimbabwe's matches led to Hawk-Eye being used during
the broadcast of their Test series against New Zealand in
August.
With Hawk-Eye once again being utilised in the
broadcast for the series against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe
Cricket (ZC) expressed their desire to use DRS in the two
Tests, but were unable to make the necessary
arrangements in time for the first game. The DRS
requires a form of ball-tracking technology as well as
slow-motion cameras and either HotSpot or Snicko. It also
requires a specialist third umpire to be arranged with
the ICC.
Because ZC did not provide the ICC with adequate notice
prior to the series, the world governing body were
unable to arrange a third umpire before the first Test.
Ahead of the second Test, slow-motion cameras have
been flown in from South Africa and the ICC have
provided a third umpire.
The presence of Hawk-Eye in recent broadcasts has
highlighted a number of incorrect decisions against
Zimbabwe. Nine of the 10 bad decisions during the New
Zealand series went against the hosts, while six of the
seven in the first Test of this series benefitted Sri Lanka.
While the Zimbabweans have been cautious about
blaming their defeats on this decision-making - especially
given that they dropped six catches in Sri Lanka's first
innings - there is a feeling that umpires have a tendency
to give fewer decisions to lower-ranked teams.
The worst decisions have often come on the final day of
Tests when Zimbabwe were fighting to save the match.
Zimbabwe had progressed to 68 for 1 in 29 overs in their
second innings against Sri Lanka, giving them hope that
they could bat out the final day, only to see Tino Mawoyo
given out lbw to a delivery from Dilruwan Perera that
Hawk-Eye believed was missing leg stump by some
distance. They subsequently collapsed to 74 for five over
the next four overs, and after a valiant effort by the
lower order, came within 7.3 overs of earning a draw.
"I think (the errors) have been well documented,"
Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak said on Saturday. "I think
the DRS is good and it's fair for everyone because it can
negate the element of human error. Obviously anyone
can make a mistake, but the less of those that have an
influence on the game, the better."
One other issue that came to the fore in the first Test
was the manner in which Zimbabwe appealed to the
umpires, particularly in comparison to Sri Lanka. While
the hosts seemed to make little more than polite
enquiries and failed to earn a single lbw in the match
(Hawk-Eye showed that they should have had at least
three), the Sri Lankans were vociferous with their
appeals and had 10 Zimbabwean batsmen given out lbw.
"It is something we've spoken about," Zimbabwe captain
Graeme Cremer said after the match. "We're trying to get
more verbal and louder. It can definitely change a game
or change an umpire's mind. We don't want to crowd the
umpire, but I think Sri Lanka have got it down. Those
decisions seem to go against us."
debut in Zimbabwe during their second Test against Sri
Lanka after some last-minute additions to the available
technology have made its implementation possible.
Having borne the brunt of a catalogue of poor umpiring
decisions in their past three Tests, Zimbabwe are hopeful
that the introduction of DRS will help level the playing
field as they look to bounce back from a 225-run defeat
in the first Test.
The DRS will also be used in the triangular one-day
series that follows.
While Zimbabwe have never objected to the use of the
DRS on principle, the cost of hiring the technology has
previously made it prohibitive. However pressure from
overseas broadcasters to improve television production of
Zimbabwe's matches led to Hawk-Eye being used during
the broadcast of their Test series against New Zealand in
August.
With Hawk-Eye once again being utilised in the
broadcast for the series against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe
Cricket (ZC) expressed their desire to use DRS in the two
Tests, but were unable to make the necessary
arrangements in time for the first game. The DRS
requires a form of ball-tracking technology as well as
slow-motion cameras and either HotSpot or Snicko. It also
requires a specialist third umpire to be arranged with
the ICC.
Because ZC did not provide the ICC with adequate notice
prior to the series, the world governing body were
unable to arrange a third umpire before the first Test.
Ahead of the second Test, slow-motion cameras have
been flown in from South Africa and the ICC have
provided a third umpire.
The presence of Hawk-Eye in recent broadcasts has
highlighted a number of incorrect decisions against
Zimbabwe. Nine of the 10 bad decisions during the New
Zealand series went against the hosts, while six of the
seven in the first Test of this series benefitted Sri Lanka.
While the Zimbabweans have been cautious about
blaming their defeats on this decision-making - especially
given that they dropped six catches in Sri Lanka's first
innings - there is a feeling that umpires have a tendency
to give fewer decisions to lower-ranked teams.
The worst decisions have often come on the final day of
Tests when Zimbabwe were fighting to save the match.
Zimbabwe had progressed to 68 for 1 in 29 overs in their
second innings against Sri Lanka, giving them hope that
they could bat out the final day, only to see Tino Mawoyo
given out lbw to a delivery from Dilruwan Perera that
Hawk-Eye believed was missing leg stump by some
distance. They subsequently collapsed to 74 for five over
the next four overs, and after a valiant effort by the
lower order, came within 7.3 overs of earning a draw.
"I think (the errors) have been well documented,"
Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak said on Saturday. "I think
the DRS is good and it's fair for everyone because it can
negate the element of human error. Obviously anyone
can make a mistake, but the less of those that have an
influence on the game, the better."
One other issue that came to the fore in the first Test
was the manner in which Zimbabwe appealed to the
umpires, particularly in comparison to Sri Lanka. While
the hosts seemed to make little more than polite
enquiries and failed to earn a single lbw in the match
(Hawk-Eye showed that they should have had at least
three), the Sri Lankans were vociferous with their
appeals and had 10 Zimbabwean batsmen given out lbw.
"It is something we've spoken about," Zimbabwe captain
Graeme Cremer said after the match. "We're trying to get
more verbal and louder. It can definitely change a game
or change an umpire's mind. We don't want to crowd the
umpire, but I think Sri Lanka have got it down. Those
decisions seem to go against us."