Reflecting further on the new review system, particularly after hearing Sanjay Manjrekar, Gregg Chappel et al at the post match review session, I end up with a feel that this signifies a major departure from the past in the game of cricket - inasmuch as it effectively extinguishes an unwritten rule, or rather a convention, hitherto followed, particularly on lbw decisions. "Benefit of doubt" being granted to the batsman was that convention. This practice did allow for the fact that human eyes would not be able to see all what happened to the minutest of its detail. More so on close-call situations which neither the bowler nor the wicket keeper nor even the batsman would be able to say with absolute surety if it was 'bat-pad' or 'pad-bat'. In such instances, the 'benefit of doubt' stands granted to the batsman. That decision will be made by the umpire, which could have been right or wrong. Consistency being maintained by the umpires was the key, though.
This allowance of human errors, and the agonies and ecstasies that revolved around such, gave a more humane touch to the game. The advent of techology has made it robotic, thus robbing the game of the sweat and tears that surrounded it. Now, the expectation is that there is no 'doubt' by the machine and by extension therefore, no 'benefit' as well. As someone put it, might it be that the likes of Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waquar Younis, Shane warne, Muralidharan (and many others) would certainly have had much higher tally of wickets, had technology decided the fate of the batsmen who faced them. And the likes of Bradman, Border, Gavaskar, Lara, Sachin would not have this many number of centuries as well.
The more I think about it, my belief grows in strength that this great game ought not have made such a tame surrender to the cameras....
This allowance of human errors, and the agonies and ecstasies that revolved around such, gave a more humane touch to the game. The advent of techology has made it robotic, thus robbing the game of the sweat and tears that surrounded it. Now, the expectation is that there is no 'doubt' by the machine and by extension therefore, no 'benefit' as well. As someone put it, might it be that the likes of Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waquar Younis, Shane warne, Muralidharan (and many others) would certainly have had much higher tally of wickets, had technology decided the fate of the batsmen who faced them. And the likes of Bradman, Border, Gavaskar, Lara, Sachin would not have this many number of centuries as well.
The more I think about it, my belief grows in strength that this great game ought not have made such a tame surrender to the cameras....
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