Tim Paine calls for consistency in how DRS is used to make Test Championship fair for all
Tim Paine, an outspoken critic of the decision review system, does not want to see it scrapped, but has called for improvements in the technology and the same tools to be employed for all international matches.
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Tim Paine does not want to walk away from using DRS but has called on the ICC to implement uniform technology in all Test matches across the globe.
Paine – an outspoken critic of DRS and statistically the worst reviewer in world cricket – said that with countries now competing for World Test Championship points it was only fair to all play by the same rules.
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Fox Cricket employs Virtual Eye for its TV broadcast and its technology is then used by the third umpire for Tests in Australia. Channel 7’s coverage uses HawkEye.
Asked if cricket should revert to simply backing its umpires, Paine said: “… No” after a long pause.
“It’s certainly got its good points, there’s just some ironing out at times that needs to be done,” Paine said.
“But that’s only my opinion. I know they’re trying to get it as precise as they possibly can.”
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson (duck) failed to have James Pattinson’s lbw shout overturned on Sunday, despite ball tracker showing the delivery marginally clipping leg stump.
But Mitchell Starc would’ve had opener Kiwi Tom Blundell lbw for a second-ball duck if Paine had reviewed that call. Blundell (121) went on to bat the entire day.
Virtual Eye only intended for its ball tracker to enhance TV broadcasts and was uncomfortable when the ICC first brought it into the umpiring process.
The powerful BCCI originally resisted using DRS. India games – played both at home and away – long relied on human umpires for lbw calls because it did not trust the technology’s predicted path.
Virtual Eye creator Ian Taylor told the Herald Sun that Paine was welcome to come into the DRS truck for a crash-course in the technology after he questioned its accuracy.
“I did read this morning that I’ve got an invite,” Paine said on Sunday.
“I might take it up at some stage. Sometimes you get a bit frustrated. Today we might’ve got one that went our way (Williamson’s dismissal).
“You’d hope it would be spot on, not trying to get it more precise.
“It would be nice to have the same technology in place for all Test matches, now that there’s a Test Championship.”
Paine will join the commentary box for BBL games after this week’s SCG Test and said he would have “plenty of time” to sneak into the DRS truck then.
Williamson said the technology was “obviously not 100 per cent accurate” but also gave it a tick.
“They’re always looking to try and improve,” he said.
“You’d like to think that overall that the technology does increase the number of right decisions.”