da prosport bet： The video referral system is likely to feature Hot Spot technology for the second Test in Durban after receiving mixed reviews from Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith at the Wanderers
da dobrowin： Brydon Coverdale at the Wanderers02-Mar-2009
The Hot Spot infrared camera is regarded as the most accurate of the technological aids used in television broadcasts © Sky Sports
The video referral system is likely to feature Hot Spot technology forthe second Test in Durban after receiving mixed reviews from RickyPonting and Graeme Smith at the Wanderers. The trial in Johannesburgwas far less controversial than the West Indies-England Test inBarbados but there was a strong consensus from the players that thethird umpire should have access to any proven technology.Whereas devices like the Snickometer and Hawkeye have their criticsthe Hot Spot infrared camera, which is mainly used to reveals edges,is regarded as the most accurate of the technological aids used intelevision broadcasts. Ponting said after Australia’s win at theWanderers that he understood Hot Spot would be available to theumpires for the remainder of the series.”I think they’re going to be using Hot Spot in Durban and Cape Town inthe next two Test matches,” Ponting said. “I don’t think they couldget the cameras here or something. That was something that wasmentioned in the referee’s meeting before the game.”It was something that we the Australian team actually objected to,that we maybe should use it in all the three games or not at all. Butwe felt for the betterment of the trial basis that we should, becausethat wasn’t available here we don’t use it here, but we’ll definitelygive it a run in the next two games.”Edges proved to be difficult for the third umpire Asad Rauf toadjudicate on in Johannesburg, where the dismissal of Mark Boucher inthe first innings was particularly uncertain. Boucher was given caughtbehind and immediately referred the decision, clearly convinced he hadnot touched the ball.The replays gave Rauf no firm evidence that the on-field decision wasincorrect and Boucher was forced to go. Smith said he did not havemuch confidence in the referral system as it stood and he felt the TVofficial needed access to more technology.”There were decisions that were got wrong on the referrals in thismatch,” Smith said. “You still have got a touch of human error. If 20of us are looking at the same replay we are all going to havedifferent decisions.”It’s difficult to pick up those slight edges, whether you’ve nickedit or hit your pad. Hopefully if we are going to carry on using thesystem then it all is there for the next Test and we can get a betteridea of whether it is good for the game or not.”Ponting’s assessment of his first experience with the system was notas negative as that of Smith. In the first over of South Africa’ssecond innings Smith survived an lbw shout that the Australians hadreferred and Ponting said the hardest thing was for a captain to knowwhen to go to the third umpire.”It’s a challenging thing for the captain because you’ve got to reactso quickly,” Ponting said. “You’ve got to talk to the wicketkeeper,you’ve got to talk to the bowler, you’ve got to try to get theirattention at different times and you’ve only got a few seconds toreact.”It worked okay in this game. There have been other games that havebeen played overseas at the moment where it hasn’t worked out quite aswell. But I’m happy with the way things turned out here.”
