The DRS debate, Time to rethink?

Not because there is any dramatic development as such....... But because cricinfo has tried to engage with some Indian players, and the views to the say the least, are quite interesting.
Can't help but entirely agree with Ravichandran Ashwin, the Umpire's call system is the biggest problem with DRS in my view, a bigger problem than the absence of 100 percent reliability of technology.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-south-africa-2015-16/content/story/936047.html

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Doesn't make sense at all : he doesn't want umpires call ; but he doesn't want Hawkeye projections either - what does he want ? The TV umpire to just judge all lbws ? Not much point in having DRS for lbw if you aren't using the prediction - may as well just leave it to he umpire ...

I think the umpires should work better as a team.

For example, with lbw's, the umpire should give his call on everything. So if a team reviews, the umpire has to say:
1) whether he thinks there was any bat
2) where he thinks it pitched
3) where he thinks impact was
4) if he thinks it was hitting the stumps

Obviously if it's out, he has already answered those questions. But if he gives it not out, all he has to do is say "no, bat", "no, pitched outside", "no, impact outside", "no, going over/missing".

If he gives it not out on the basis that there was bat, but is satisfied that everything else was good, then they review and it's umpire's call on the stumps, currently he's given not out, even if, in the umpire's opinion, it was hitting.

With regards to catches, these are slightly more clear cut in that the two questions are did he hit it and did he catch it. But the umpire could explain his rationale a bit better and work better as a team, as rugby does when using the television match official, rather than fully referring all the decisions.

the umpires call is the only glaring issue IMO.

if they turn this into "half ball hitting the stumps is out"

regardless of Umpire's call, then we have a reasonably acceptable version

KP_fan wrote:the umpires call is the only glaring issue IMO.

if they turn this into "half ball hitting the stumps is out"

regardless of Umpire's call, then we have a reasonably acceptable version

But it already is : problem is when less than half the ball is seen to be hitting. If I was bowling , had someone given out lbw , and then saw them reprieved because Hawkeye decreed a millimeter less than half the ball was striking the stumps , I'd be very unhappy , to say the least. And it wouldn't go down well with the fans.

Umpires call is a reasonable way of allowing technology to be used but not completely taking over. Do away with it and we are headed for a future in which all lbw appeals go to the TV umpire and Hawkeye...

I don't want that.

I don't mind Umpire's call, but.

- A fielding side shouldn't lose their reviews on a UC
- THe UC should mean UC. Ump has to explain his call. If given not out because the ump thought there was an inside edge, but it turns out to just be clipping leg without an inside edge... the batsman needs to go on his bike.

As an aside.. BCCI formally lodging a complain about the quality of umpiring in the SA series was hilarious given the fact that they would have been relying DRS technology to prove that the umpire was poor.... which they don't trust

It wasn't BCCI but rather "Team India" ...led by BS Dhoni that wanted to lodge  complain.

lost because of bad umpiring by the home umpire when Dhoni himself is the champion in rejecting DRS.

Next time he lost.. ..."Team India" led by BS Dhoni wanted to lodge a complain  against the pitch curator...for making a diabolical pitch that was so batsman friendly that because of pitch and nothing but the pitch....SA scored 438
and when India batted ....pitch became so bowler friendly that SA was able to get them out for about 210 runs less.

PS*
BS Dhoni ain't a typo.....
it stands for Bull s-hi-t Dhoni

Umpire's call introduces major inconsistency as far as the system is concerned. If a batsman is given not out though a significant part of the ball is shown to be hitting the stumps just short of the UC marker, the batsman would get away with it. Then when the opposition is batting, if the bowler originally denied is given out even if the ball is just about clipping, there would be no way he would get away with it. Not sure the fans would like, and I am absolutely sure I would not want that situation of major inconsistency.
For me, there are 2 things that has made me reconsider my earlier support to DRS, umpire's call is absolutely ridiculous for me, it is not in line with the tradition of the game, the game gave the benefit of doubt to the batsman, not to the umpires. The lack of standardization of technology is the other problem, you have hotspot in some games, you don't have it in some other series happening at the same time, just nonsense!