The International Cricket Council today expressed opposition to the move to drop Hot Spot from the Ashes series in Australia.
The host broadcaster, in conjunction with the home board, has to foot the bill for the device, and Aussie station Channel Nine has decided not to fork out the £6,000 a day needed to have Hot Spot available in the five Tests, which start in Brisbane next month.
Using infrared technology, Hot Spot is supposed to demonstrate when the ball has made contact with bat or pad but its flaws were exposed during the Ashes in this country earlier this year.
Despite these incidents, the ICC would still prefer Hot Spot to be used. The governing body’s umpire performance and training manager Simon Taufel (above) said: “The news is a bit disappointing from our perspective.
“We would prefer Hot Spot to be part of the series and part of the majority of international cricket if possible. When it does show a mark on the bat or pad, it’s a great tool to improve the accuracy of overall decision making.
“It’s a balance between the umpires getting the decision right at the time, as well as having that resource available if they do miss something through sight and sound.”
Hot Spot’s inventor, Warren Brennan, believes the gadget must be combined with Snicko, the audio device that can detect thin edges, to produce the most effective results.
He said: “Hot Spot is strong in some areas and Snicko is strong in others. The best way forward would be to put the two together.”
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