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Mitchell Starc puts the onus on ICC after Snicko comes under fire during Ashes: ‘Why don’t they pay for DRS?'
Australia pacer Mitchell Starc put the spotlight on the ICC amid the rising concerns regarding the use of Snicko technology.
Australia might have sealed the Ashes 2025-26 series after winning the third Test against England at the Adelaide Oval, but the contest will be remembered for the inconsistencies in the DRS decision-making during the series. Both sides have constantly expressed frustration at several moments across the series involving Real Time Snicko (RTS), and the situation reached a boiling point in Adelaide. Pacer Mitchell Starc has finally reacted to the same, putting the spotlight on the ICC and questioning the apex body regarding why they don't pay for the technology worldwide.
Starc said that, along with paying for the technology, ICC should ensure that the same DRS is used worldwide to avoid the inconsistencies in decision-making. It is worth mentioning that Ben Stokes' England had a review reinstated in Adelaide by match referee Jeff Crowe on Day 2 after BBG Sports, the suppliers of Snicko, accepted operator error had led to an incorrect reprieve for Alex Carey during the opening day.
Also Read: Mitchell Starc wants ‘Worst technology ever, Snicko to be sacked’ after disastrous errors in Ashes
Another incident on Day 2 saw Starc losing his cool on the field, with the stump mic picking up his comment, saying, “Snicko needs to be sacked.” The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) are now all set to lobby the ICC to review the protocols and systems pertaining to the DRS.
“I'm sure it's frustrating for everyone, viewers, officials, and broadcasters, no doubt. One thing I will say ... I'm only going to speak for myself here, the officials use it, right? So why doesn't the ICC pay for it? And why is it not just one [provider] across the board? Why don't we use the same technology in all different series, that's going to perhaps create less confusion, less frustration? So that's where I'll leave that,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Starc as saying.
It is worth noting that the ICC has two approved suppliers of "sound-based edge detection technology": RTS and UltraEdge. The first is used in Australia, while the latter is employed in the rest of the world. Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, said that umpires cannot fully trust RTS, but the same is not the case with UltraEdge.
What does Pat Cummins think?
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins did remain diplomatic when posed with the same question; however, he did say that UltraEdge definitely seems different to Snicko.
"The one here seems a little bit different to sometimes what you get overseas," Cummins said.
“There are always a few murmurs. You're hoping that it matches up if you're the bowling team. Sometimes you 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,” he added.
As of now, there is no provision to change the technology providers mid-series, and the RTS is set to be used for the final two Ashes Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.
