Though the Decision Review System or DRS has been embraced by all the nations playing international cricket and it has also been employed in the T20 leagues like the PSL and IPL.
But one aspect of the DRS still remains quite controversial and that is the ‘umpire’s call’ which has baffled experts and current cricketers. The great Sachin Tendulkar stressed on a change to be brought in the system, especially concerning the calls where the ball is marginally projected to be hitting the stumps in DRS reviews.
However, former India opener Aakash Chopra, now a cricket expert, has disagreed with the opinion of the master blaster.
During another episode of his YouTube show ‘Aakash Vani’, Chopra said: “In principle, it makes sense as once it is reviewed, why you would want to go back to the umpire. I am with you Paaji that once you have embraced technology, you should trust it and don’t do other things. Totally correct.”
“Here I have a difference of opinion with Paaji. When we are talking about the ball hitting the stumps that is the projection that we see we don’t see it in black and white,” he said.
Cricket fraternity supports Sachin Tendulkar's opinion of removing umpire's call from DRS
Tendulkar spoke to West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara on his app 100 MB and compared the DRS technology in cricket with football and tennis. Unlike cricket, these sports have definitive answers while the gentleman's game still relies on the umpire's decisions even when the technology is involved.
“So this cannot be compared with football, badminton or tennis, we cannot compare that part of DRS with any other sport, because there you can see the tangible results with your eyes. But in cricket, the ball projection is based on technology taking into account the spin, bounce, swing etc. Here Paaji feels that even if it hits 5%, it should be given out. I feel it should not be given,” he said.
“If you talk to Hawkeye, the company which makes this technology, they will say that if more than 50% of the ball is shown hitting the stump then they are 100% certain that the ball will hit the stumps. But if less than 50% of the ball is shown to be hitting, then they are not 100% certain. So there are chances that the ball might be missing,” the former India opener added.
There is no doubt on decisions where the ball hits more than 50% of the stumps, but discrepancy creeps in decisions where the ball hits less than 50% of the stumps because that brings in the on-filed umpires’ perception into play.
“So the question is only when less than 50% of the ball hits the stumps. If the on-field umpire gives it out, it remains out but if the same ball is given not out by the umpire, it remains not out. That is the discrepancy that I am not okay with. So that you will have to change, you have to decide on that. If you feel that your accuracy is more than 50%, then the chapter is closed,” he said.
Sachin surely wants the latter case to be sorted out by making the decision fully reliant on the technology, but Chopra feels there's a need to embrace that ambiguity.
“If more than 50% of the ball strikes the stumps, it should be given out. If less than than 50% of the ball strikes the stumps, then whatever be the umpire’s decision, it should be given not out,” he added.
“Even the ball pitching on leg stump is considered in line when more than 50% is inside the line and otherwise considered as umpire’s call. Why so? This is one thing that definitely needs to change,” Chopra further explained.
