Virtual Eye creator criticises ICC's DRS usage

Ian Taylor, the creator of Virtual Eye, has criticised the ICC for their handling of the Decision Review System (DRS), saying the technology should only be used to overturn 'howlers'. The DRS was called upon three times on the first day of the Gabba Test between Australia and South Africa, being used for the first time under a recently amended protocol.

Australia challenged the umpire's decision on all three occasions, and were successful in overturning an lbw appeal against Graeme Smith that umpire Billy Bowden had deemed not out. But the technology came under the scanner again when a not-out decision by Asad Rauf was upheld, for a Ben Hilfenhaus appeal against Alviro Petersen in the 34th over. The ball had not hit the batsman's boot fully within the line of the stumps on this occasion, though it would have hit the stumps, and the umpire's call was upheld.

Taylor said it was hard to understand the ICC's DRS regulations. "We don't even understand the changes or the rationale behind them - how can we expect the fans to," Taylor told News Limited. "It's meant to only find those mistakes that are so wrong everybody saw them."

"In the past three years Australian cricket fans have been delivered an Ashes series with DRS, an Indian series without DRS and this year they face a series with South Africa with a different DRS," he said, highlighting the inconsistencies in usage. "I believe the DRS process has been poorly handled by the ICC and I see no signs of that improving."