Mitchell Starc openly criticized the Real-Time Snickometer after a series of controversial DRS calls during the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, saying the technology should be “fired” after repeated errors.
The Australian pacer was clearly frustrated by what he said were inconsistent decisions that set his team back on the first two days, even as Australia remained firmly in the lead of the match.
The controversy started on Day 1 when Australia appealed for a scoreline against Alex Carey. Snicko showed a spike, but it appeared before the ball reached the bat, and the on-field decision to not out stood.
Later in the day, Carey admitted that he had cleared the ball. Officials subsequently revealed that the wrong stump microphone had been selected, an error that raised serious questions about the system’s accuracy.
The English assessment of the incident was eventually reinstated, but by then the damage had been done. Carey then scored a crucial 106 to help Australia reach 371 after being put under pressure early on.
Australia’s anger grew on Day 2 during another review, this time with Jamie Smith. Smith played a hook shot and Australia challenged the not-out decision to check whether the ball had hit the glove.
Snicko showed a spike that officials determined was contact with the helmet rather than the glove. The decision was immediate, causing the Australian players to become visibly irritated once again.
Starc didn’t hold back when asked about the incidents. “Snicko needs to be fired. That’s the worst technology out there. They made a mistake recently and made another mistake today,” he said.
From Australia’s perspective, both calls were against them, and both came at key moments in the match. The repeated reliance on audio peaks, combined with errors in microphone selection, left players wondering how much trust could be placed in the system.
Despite the frustration, Australia were still in good control of the Test. At stumps on Day 2, England were still 158 runs behind with just two wickets in hand.
Australia also led the Ashes series 2-0, meaning the Snicko controversy has done little to change the bigger picture of their dominance so far.
Yet Starc’s comments have reignited the debate over the use of RTS and the way technology is managed during moments of high pressure in Test cricket, especially in a series as intense as the Ashes.
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