4 times ball-tracking caused a controversy in 2024 ft. Chamari Athapaththu

The Decision Review System (DRS), once seen as a blessing to cricketers to overturn mistakes committed by on-field umpires, is in the middle of a lot of controversies these days owing to its failure to adjudicate fairly.

The latest victim of the technology was Chamari Athapaththu on Monday in the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024. She found herself being given LBW in dubious circumstances.

In this article, we bring to you five occasions in which ball-tracking caused controversy in 2024.

---

#1 Chamari Athapaththu

UP Warriorz batter Chamari Athapaththu was the latest victim of the ball-tracking system in DRS when she found herself being given out in the Women's Premier League game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday.

In the seventh over of the game, Athapaththu went down to play a sweep shot against leg spinner Georgia Wareham. She missed the ball, which hit her pads.

After a big appeal by the Bangalore fielders, the umpire gave it not out. However, a review was taken and the ball-tracker showed that the ball was turning the other way after pitching, like a googly and hitting the stumps.

It was quite clear to everyone who saw the delivery that it was not a googly, but the ball-tracker erred and showed it as one. Athapaththu looked at the decision in disbelief as she walked off the ground.

---

#2 Zak Crawley

Zak Crawley of England poses for a portrait at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

England opener Zak Crawley found himself in a rather bizarre LBW dismissal in the third match of the ongoing India vs England Test series. The ball-tracking showed that owing to the umpire's call, the ball was hitting the stumps, and that he was out.

In the fourth innings in Rajkot, Crawley was caught in front of the stumps by an inswinger from Jasprit Bumrah that seemed to be missing the leg stump with the naked eye. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena lifted his finger and adjudged the batter out, a decision that was upheld by the DRS.

However, everyone was baffled when the graphics showed that the ball had narrowly missed the top of the leg stump. Ben Stokes asked for clarification from match referee Jeff Crowe, who told the England captain that there was a mismatch between the numerical evidence and the graphics.

---

#3 Joe Root

Joe Root in action for England.

England maestro Joe Root was on the receiving end of a rather dubious decision by the DRS in the ongoing India vs England Test series. This incident occurred in the fourth Test in Ranchi when he was adjudged LBW to Ravichandran Ashwin on Day 3.

The ball-tracking system of the DRS indicated that more than half of the ball was outside the line when it pitched and that it would go on to hit the leg stump. To the Yorkshireman's great credit, he left the crease without uttering a word, but after seeing the replay in the dressing room, he looked devastated.

This time, there was no saving grace for the DRS, and no one to advocate for its failure on such a big stage.

---

#4 Rilee Rossouw

Rilee Rossouw in the BBL.

Rilee Rossouw was a batter who took advantage of the ball-tracker to help his cause in a recent game in the Pakistan Super League between Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United in Lahore on February 22.

The incident took place in the 11th over of Quetta's innings when Rossouw was on strike. He faced a delivery from United's Agha Salman that got rapped into his pads while attempting to play a sweep.

The on-field umpire gave it out after the bowler appealed for it. Much to the shock of Islamabad's players, the ball-tracker showed the ball was completely missing the stumps when Rossouw took the review.

The DRS revealed the error, with the impact showing outside off and the ball spinning away from the stumps. This was another shocker as it was quite clear that Rossouw was struck stone dead in front of the stumps.