India board unconvinced by DRS ball-tracking technology

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) does not think the ball-tracking technology used in the Decision Review System (DRS) is reliable enough and has maintained opposition to its mandatory use.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recommended the mandatory use of DRS, under which teams currently can make two unsuccessful appeals against an umpire's decision per innings, in all formats of the game.

"The BCCI would like to reiterate that it does not accept the reliability of the ball-tracking technology, which is an integral part of the DRS," Board of Control for Cricket in India Secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.

"The BCCI's position has been consistent."

Srinivasan had told Reuters in May that the world's richest and most powerful cricket board would oppose DRS' mandatory use in all international matches when the topic is discussed at the International Cricket Council's June 26-30 meeting in Hong Kong.

"Look, we don't have any problems with the Snickometer or Hot Spot and we have informed this to the ICC. But the Hawk Eye is yet to convince us; this technology is basically based on assumption," Srinivasan told Saturday's Indian Express newspaper.

The Snickometer is used to detect the ball catching an edge, while Hot Spot gives a more convincing indication of the ball's point of contact. Hawk Eye technology, which is used more often, replicates the ball's trajectory.

"Nothing much has changed since we first opposed it. We welcome technology when it is 100 percent error free," Srinivasan, also the board's president-elect, added. "In this case it is not, so we would continue to oppose."

The board's resistance has meant DRS will not be used in India's tour of England starting next month.

The technology has polarised opinion in India with senior players Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni having reservations about the ball-tracking technology even though team mate Virender Sehwag and former coach Gary Kirsten are in favour of its use.

Copyright Reuters, 2011