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Former England captain Nasser Hussain and current skipper Ben Stokes have found themselves on opposite sides of the fence regarding the ‘umpire’s call’ in the Decision Review System (DRS). The debate was sparked after England’s heavy defeat by a record 434 runs in the third Test against India in Rajkot.
Stokes, reflecting on the match, expressed his frustration with the ‘umpire’s call’ rule, suggesting that if the ball is shown to be hitting or clipping the stumps on ball-tracking, it should be given out regardless of the on-field decision. “You just want a level playing field. If the ball is hitting the stumps, it is hitting the stumps,” Stokes commented to TalkSPORT.
However, Nasser Hussain, known for his insightful cricket analysis, stood firm in his support for the ‘umpire’s call’, emphasizing the need for a margin of error in the technology. “Technology can be fallible… I like the DRS and I also like umpire’s call,” Hussain stated in DailyMail.
Hussain also highlighted the recent changes in the DRS laws, particularly the increase in bail height for balls clipping the stumps, which may have influenced decisions like Zak Crawley’s lbw dismissal in the third Test. “Bear in mind, also, there have been a couple of changes in the system and the ball can now clip the top of the bails,” Hussain noted.
The debate over ‘umpire’s call’ is not new, with players like Virat Kohli also expressing their views on the matter in the past. However, Hussain remains steadfast in his support for the current system, citing the need for balance between technology and on-field umpiring decisions.
While Stokes and others may advocate for a change in the DRS rules, Hussain’s stance reflects a broader concern for maintaining the integrity and balance of the game, ensuring that technology complements, rather than replaces, the human element of umpiring.
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