Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey was granted a contentious reprieve on day one of the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval. This significant incident has raised troubling questions about the reliability of the technology that is being used in the game. The incident occurred in the 63rd over, with Australia on 245-6. Carey reverse swept an audacious cut shot to England bowler Josh Tongue for six. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith took the catch, but Smith’s dismissal was reviewed. A failure by the Snicko technology operator was responsible for the incorrect result.
Carey had other plans and swatted for the boundary with intent. The ball just touched his bat as he walked away from the wicket. The English team enthusiastically appealed, sure they had him caught out. On-field umpire Ahsan Raza stood firm on the appeal, leaving the England team understandably frustrated. The incident prompted a review by TV umpire Chris Gaffaney, who was presented with a discrepancy between the visual footage and the corresponding sound wave.
Gaffaney noted, “I thought there was a feather or some sort of noise when it passed the bat,” which suggested that there might have been an edge. This Snicko technology has come under fire over the course of this series. It highlighted a two-frame delay between visual stimuli and audio signal. This inconsistency would prove to be what eventually allowed Carey to stay at the crease.
The Australian batsman would go on to confess to having touched Tongue’s delivery. If it was thrown away I feel like I would’ve read it, likely not with certainty. It sounded great coming off the bat,” said Carey. It was a pivotal moment since, at that point, his score was 72 runs. He then doggedly got through to complete his century, continuing on to 106 not out, Australia closing on 326-8.
The incident has led to renewed discussion about the role of technology in cricket. England’s bowling coach David Saker expressed frustrations over the situation, stating, “There have been concerns about it for the whole series. We shouldn’t be talking about this after a day’s play; it should just be better than that. It is what it is.” He further claimed that England had formally raised the issue with match referee Jeff Crowe.
Saker indicated that this issue may prompt further discussions among officials and teams: “I don’t think we’ve done anything about it so far, but after today, maybe that might go a bit further.” He pointed out that Carey confessed to having dulled the ball. If true, this admission begs the question of how good the Snicko technology actually was throughout the match.
BBG Sports commented on the situation, asserting that “Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing.” This statement only serves to reinforce worries regarding technology’s omnipotent place in officiating judgments.
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