The integrity of cricket's Decision Review System (DRS) is being dictated not by a global standard, but by the financial decisions and technological preferences of individual host broadcasters. This patchwork system, which came under intense scrutiny during Wednesday's Alex Carey controversy in Adelaide, means the tools used to adjudicate on crucial edges and catches can vary dramatically depending on where a Test match is played.
The Snicko vs Ultra Edge Divide
At the heart of the latest dispute is the snickometer, or 'Snicko', a technology considered outdated in the United Kingdom. Sky Sports famously ditched it in 2016 for its rival, Hawk-Eye's Ultra Edge. The key difference lies in their operation: the traditional Snickometer requires a human operator to manually align sound and vision, whereas Ultra Edge amalgamates the two automatically using precise ball-tracking data.
This has created a clear geographical split in the sport's technology. Both Australia and New Zealand have continued using Snicko, while England, India, and South Africa employ Ultra Edge. The inconsistency stems from the fact that these tools are generally paid for by the host broadcaster, not the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Financial Realities and Reluctant Adoption
The ICC's role has been one of persuasion rather than provision. It successfully convinced India to adopt DRS for bilateral series nine years ago, but only after Hawk-Eye significantly upgraded its tracking cameras from 50 to 340 frames per second. Crucially, the governing body does not fund the technology outside of limited-overs tournaments.
This leaves broadcasters to shop around based on budget and viewer experience. The cost implications are stark: South Africa controversially opted not to pay for DRS – a saving of £35,000 – for a women's Test against England last year, a match subsequently marred by numerous on-field errors. Meanwhile, recognising DRS's growing importance, the ECB funded the technology for the first time in its latest broadcast deal with Sky in 2023.
Consequences and Controversies
The decentralised system places responsibility for errors squarely on the suppliers and their operators. In the Adelaide incident, Alex Carey was reprieved on 72 after an error by Snicko's parent company, BBG Sports, where an employee selected the wrong microphone. This is the second consecutive December a high-profile match in Australia has featured Carey in a DRS row.
During the 2024-25 Boxing Day Test, India were left furious when Yashasvi Jaiswal was given out caught behind by Carey off Pat Cummins. The decision was overturned by third umpire Sharfuddoulah based on video replays, despite minimal evidence on the snickometer to contradict the on-field 'not out' call from umpire Joel Wilson.
This series of events underscores a fundamental tension in modern cricket: as technology becomes ever more critical to fair play, its application remains fragmented and subject to local financial constraints, leaving the sport's most important decisions vulnerable to inconsistency and human error.
