Snicko controversy hits Third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval

ADELAIDE: Edge-detection technology Snicko is once again at the centre of controversy during the third Ashes Test, raising questions about its accuracy and reliability.

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc expressed his frustration, reportedly telling the stump mic, “Snicko is the worst technology; it was wrong yesterday and today.” The debate intensified after a catch review against Jimmy Smith led to disagreement between players and umpires over whether the ball hit the glove or helmet.

Earlier, England benefited when match referee Jeff Crowe overturned a review, following an operator error that had wrongly given Alex Carey not out.

Former umpire Simon Taufel criticised the ICC’s removal of the “soft signal,” saying technology should assist umpires, not replace them.

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has called for a full investigation, while former captain Ricky Ponting highlighted that Snicko lags behind systems used in other countries.

The ongoing controversy has once again sparked debate about the role and trust of technology in cricket, leaving players, officials, and fans divided.

How Snicko works

Snicko is a technology used in cricket to detect faint edges between the ball and the bat, gloves, or helmet.

It works by using a sensitive stump microphone to pick up sounds when the ball passes the bat, and then aligns these audio spikes with video footage to show exactly when contact occurs.

Modern systems combine Snicko with UltraEdge, which uses ultrasonic sound to filter out background noise and improve accuracy.

The TV umpire or match referee analyses the sound spike and video to determine if the ball touched the bat or glove, helping make decisions on caught-behind or LBW reviews.

However, background noise, faint edges, or operator errors can sometimes lead to controversial or incorrect decisions.