Difficult light conditions led to disruptive services of the ball-tracking and a system crash added to the problem when an LBW appeal against Jason Holder could not be tracked by the Eagle Eye Tracker on the final day of the Boxing Day Test Match.
The old ball and excessive shadows created problems for the ball tracking cameras, thus the Eagle Eye Tracker manufacturer told its broadcaster that this was the reason why they couldn’t provide an immediate decision on Jason Holder’s appeal.
A secondary option when the tracker doesn’t work was to check Channel Nine’s footage of Peter Siddle’s delivery and it was later found out that the ball missed the leg stumps, but this was found out later and not at the time of DRS referral.
Since the DRS was of no use, Australia’s didn’t lose their referral as the third umpire Ian Gould relied on on-field umpire Marais Erasmus’ decision. Animation Research, the manufacturer of the Tracking system took full responsibility for the incident as Ian Taylor, Head of the company talked to the broadcasters.
He said, “The guys weren't happy with the first data they got because of a lighting issue so they did a re-track from the video. Unfortunately, when they did that the system crashed and they lost the video, doing the re-track without the video takes much longer.”
Taylor further added, “They had to let the producer know they weren't happy with what they had and advised him there was no useable track available at the time. That is part of the protocol and in that case 'umpire's call' stands. They did retrieve the track in the end but it was too late to use, but they did put it to air.”
He finally took responsibility for the outcome and said, “I want to be clear this is our responsibility. We weren't able to track this ball to a satisfactory standard and said so.”
Taylor mentioned that this was only the third time when the data arrived by the ball tracker was inadequate. He also said that the Marlon Samuels LBW, which was thought by everyone as out and the Eagle Eye Tracker showed the ball clearing the stumps was no cause of dismay for the firm.
Taylor said about the operators at the MCG, “They were happy with it, side-on showed he was on his tip toes and he was hit on the top of the pad. They felt happy with that tracking, based on what the side-on cameras showed.”
There have been constant discussion and meetings between the operators and ICC to constantly improve the system, which is supported by umpires, as they feel that it is better to rely on the TV reviews rather than their instincts on difficult situations.
Jason Holder’s decision was discussed by the match officials from both the teams and the match referee Chris Broad.
Even after such an incident, the Australian team and coach Darren Lehman stay in support of the system as Lehman said, “You just want them to get it right, that's all, make sure the technology is up to speed, everyone loves it, we're pro it, it's just making sure they get it right.
“It was missing leg stump, they handled it well from a match referee/ICC point of view, where we didn't lose a review, got that back. Making sure it's working 100% of the time is the key.”
As it is said, change is the only constant and as time goes by will see ‘n’ number of changes in this system and the game. The EagleEye Tracker is an innovation that has grown since its inception and as we go forward, we hope that it gains the confidence of other nations and improves.
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