The snickometer debate refused to die at the third Ashes Test as fresh flashpoints on Day 2 prompted Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc to deliver a brutal verdict on the technology, branding it “the worst technology ever” after another series of baffling decisions.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Snicko had already dominated discussion on the opening day following the controversial not-out call on Alex Carey, who went on to make his maiden Ashes century. Despite a visible spike on the audio graph during England’s caught-behind appeal, TV umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled that the noise came “before the bat” and that the ball had passed well underneath, adjudging Carey not out. England paid dearly for that decision.
The controversy deepened on Day 2 with England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith at the center of two key moments that again raised questions over the reliability of Snicko. In the 44th over, Pat Cummins induced what appeared to be a glove from Smith, with the ball ending up in Usman Khawaja’s hands at slip. Unsure whether the catch carried cleanly, Khawaja deferred to the umpires, and on-field official Nitin Menon sent it upstairs.Replays showed Smith’s glove moving as the ball passed, but Snicko failed to register any spike. The third umpire ruled that the ball had missed the glove and instead deflected off the helmet, giving Smith a reprieve. It was at this point that Starc’s frustration boiled over, with stump microphones capturing him saying, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo: “Snicko needs to be sacked. It’s the worst technology ever.”
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Ironically, Snicko came into play again just two overs later — and this time worked against Smith. Attempting a pull shot off Cummins in the 46th over, Smith was caught behind by Carey. Menon sent the decision upstairs without an on-field verdict, and although the audio spike appeared a frame after the ball passed the bat, it was deemed sufficient evidence to give Smith out.The Snicko storm traces back to Day 1, when Carey himself admitted post-play that he heard “a bit of a feather or noise” when the ball passed his bat but chose not to walk, citing the unclear Snicko evidence. “Snicko obviously didn’t line up… you have a bit of luck, and maybe it went my way,” Carey said.Adding fuel to the controversy, BBG Sports founder Warren Brennan later acknowledged that an incorrect stump mic may have been selected during Carey’s review, with the company taking full responsibility for the error.
