Umpiring in the age of DRS

[sandeep]

It occurred to me that with the advent of DRS, the logic decision tree that most umpires follow when asked the question should and probably will evolve into a major departure from the conventional norm.  It signals the possible and probable end of one of Cricket's age-old and respected Commandment - "Benefit of the doubt will go to the batsmen on an appeal unless the Umpire is certain that it is out".  

 

Given the way DRS is structured, as long as the batting team has a review left - if an Ump is not sure whether there's a nick for a catch, he can give it out, knowing that if the batsman knows he is not out, he will promptly review, and upon successful review, there is no material impact to the game since the review will not be burned if successful.    Similarly, if its the other way around, and the bowling team has a review available, he can err on the side of caution and give it not out - knowing that the bowling team can review without 'real' cost if they believe the review outcome will be in their favor.  

 

I'm increasingly certain this sort of logic will enter a smart thinking Umpire's decision making process as they leverage the safety net that DRS provides.  

[Vijy]

Although the DRS has been a boon, it puts a fair bit of pressure on umpires who then end up making more errors than before.

[sandeep]

Just now, Vijy said:

Although the DRS has been a boon, it puts a fair bit of pressure on umpires who then end up making more errors than before.

I actually disagree - it reduces pressure on the umpires, because they have a safety net.  Their worst decisions are likely to be corrected and they are now far less likely be having a bad impact on the game.  

 

Its introduced change.  And potentially a fairly big one in the umpire's decision process when responding to appeals - change often results in muddied processes but things settle down after a while.  Its a change for the better, by any yardstick.  

[Vijy]

4 minutes ago, sandeep said:

I actually disagree - it reduces pressure on the umpires, because they have a safety net.  Their worst decisions are likely to be corrected and they are now far less likely be having a bad impact on the game.  

 

Its introduced change.  And potentially a fairly big one in the umpire's decision process when responding to appeals - change often results in muddied processes but things settle down after a while.  Its a change for the better, by any yardstick.  

I see a lot more howlers from Oxenford, Dharma, etc. Very sloppy umpiring.

 

I never questioned the value of DRS, btw - just said that the effect on umpires (in my opinion) had nee negative. On the whole, it's the right way for the game to move ahead.

 

On a diff note, blockheads like Pappu need to learn how to use it, and VK should calm down and find people he can trust.

[sandeep]

5 minutes ago, Vijy said:

On a diff note, blockheads like Pappu need to learn how to use it, and VK should calm down and find people he can trust.

+++++

 

Pappu is a git anyway, but I expect better from VK and he still is quite a bit of a gambler and reckless with DRS.  

[Vijy]

6 minutes ago, sandeep said:

+++++

 

Pappu is a git anyway, but I expect better from VK and he still is quite a bit of a gambler and reckless with DRS.  

A midget git - should be called Gitget (like Gidget). VK will eventually learn wrt DRS - his nature is just too passionate right now. Think he will mellow with age, as did Punter.

[Tibarn]

Eventually umpires need to be completely replaced with robots. People are already advocating robot umpires for baseball. 

[Vijy]

3 minutes ago, Tibarn said:

Eventually umpires need to be completely replaced with robots. People are already advocating robot umpires for baseball. 

The players also. I think that a well-designed robot could bat better than the best batsmen eventually.

[sandeep]

WTF? Robot players?  

 

Thanks for hijacking my thread

[Vijy]

1 minute ago, sandeep said:

WTF? Robot players?  

 

Thanks for hijacking my thread

Sounds good, doesn't it? Blade Runner and Lagaan merged together. Imagine robot cricket being played to the tune of Bollywood songs. WOuld be cool, I reckon... before the novelty wears off.

[sandeep]

4 minutes ago, Vijy said:

Sounds good, doesn't it? Blade Runner and Lagaan merged together. Imagine robot cricket being played to the tune of Bollywood songs. WOuld be cool, I reckon... before the novelty wears off.

uh no.  

[Vijy]

2 minutes ago, sandeep said:

uh no.  

Hence, I said - before the novelty wears off. Could be a femtosecond, before it wears off. Besides, as you know, the post was meant tongue-in-cheek of course.

[Tibarn]

16 minutes ago, Vijy said:

The players also. I think that a well-designed robot could bat better than the best batsmen eventually.

Anti gravity tech as well, or we could just make it a robot death battle

[Vijy]

1 minute ago, Tibarn said:

Anti gravity tech as well, or we could just make it a robot death battle

Yes, a sort of Battle Royale/Hunger Games thing. Robots bashing each other with cricket bats?

[Cricketics]

2 hours ago, Vijy said:

Although the DRS has been a boon, it puts a fair bit of pressure on umpires who then end up making more errors than before.

We can say that as many times as we want but it will not change the fact that international cricket umpiring or any kind of cricket umpiring needs lot of attention. Before technology, there was as much pressure on umpires during the era of great fast bowlers and I am sure they have given many not outs into "out" decisions just because of the pressure being put by top world class bowlers and because of their reputation of being a great player, umpire would fall into rubble and give out when it wasn't.

 

Techonology is exposing the human nature of falling and failing under pressure. Earlier it showed batsman and bowlers under pressure, now it is exposing the umpires looking knocked out under pressure.

[sandeep]

1 minute ago, Cricketics said:

We can say that as many times as we want but it will not change the fact that international cricket umpiring or any kind of cricket umpiring needs lot of attention. Before technology, there was as much pressure on umpires during the era of great fast bowlers and I am sure they have given many not outs into "out" decisions just because of the pressure being put by top world class bowlers and because of their reputation of being a great player, umpire would fall into rubble and give out when it wasn't.

 

Techonology is exposing the human nature of falling and failing under pressure. Earlier it showed batsman and bowlers under pressure,l and getting out, now it is exposing the umpires looking knocked out.

Spot on.  Its a known and proven fact that umpires and referees do tend to subconsciously favor the team/player who is considered the stronger one.  You always heard peers complain about the Michael Jordan effect on referees - it happens in all sports.  

[Vijy]

2 minutes ago, Cricketics said:

We can say that as many times as we want but it will not change the fact that international cricket umpiring or any kind of cricket umpiring needs lot of attention. Before technology, there was as much pressure on umpires during the era of great fast bowlers and I am sure they have given many not outs into "out" decisions just because of the pressure being put by top world class bowlers and because of their reputation of being a great player, umpire would fall into rubble and give out when it wasn't.

 

Techonology is exposing the human nature of falling and failing under pressure. Earlier it showed batsman and bowlers under pressure,l and getting out, now it is exposing the umpires looking knocked out.

Yes, as I have mentioned before, it's been very advantageous on the whole.

[Cricketics]

5 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Spot on.  Its a known and proven fact that umpires and referees do tend to subconsciously favor the team/player who is considered the stronger one.  You always heard peers complain about the Michael Jordan effect on referees - it happens in all sports.  

Yes, similar in tennis. I did not watch much of John Mcenroe but watched him live playing doubles later and also some of his past videos, he was a jerk to the umpires. I like the dude and have met him a few times, but on court he was absolute jerk and would show his anger big time to the umpire and also crowd used to love him and start supporting him even when he wasnt right and because of that umpire would fall under pressure and start giving wrong decisions when they were doing absolutely fine umpiring in the game untill that point. 

[Vijy]

2 minutes ago, Cricketics said:

Yes, similar in tennis. I did not watch much of John Mcenroe but watched him live playing doubles later and also some of his past videos, he was a jerk to the umpires. I like the dude and have met him a few times, but on court he was absolute jerk and would show his anger big time to the umpire and also crowd used to love him and start supporting him even when he wasnt right and because of that umpire would fall under pressure and start giving wrong decisions when they were doing absolutely fine umpiring in the game untill that point. 

McEnroe also seems to have mellowed after retirement.

[Cricketics]

5 minutes ago, Vijy said:

McEnroe also seems to have mellowed after retirement.

Yes he has. Especially on his own American Tennis association. He is a patriot and loves the country and is extremely heartbroken man and sad that no American has won a grandslam since Roddick in 03, but he can not say much right now about it since his brother Patrick was head of USTA for a while. Now that he isn't, we might start to see him being more critical on USTA for not able to produce another man as the grandslam winner.