Michael Vaughan lashed out at the DRS technology and called for more transparency after Root’s dismissal in the fourth Test.
Paul Hawkins, founder of the Hawk-Eye, has expressed his displeasure over Michael Vaughan’s comments regarding Hawk-Eye in the ongoing Test series between India and England. The former English captain was not impressed with Joe Root’s dismissal in the second innings of the fourth Test match in Ranchi.
Michael Vaughan reacts to Paul Hawkins’s criticism
Root, who scored a brilliant ton in the first innings of the match, was given out LBW off Ravichandran Ashwin’s delivery for 11. The on-field umpire called it not out but had to overturn their decision following a successful DRS by the hosts. However, the dismissal raised several eyebrows after Hawk-eye displayed the line of pitching.
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The DRS and the umpire calls have been under the scanners for the past few years as several former cricketers and critics have asked for some transparency and consistency regarding the technology.
Vaughan, who is very vocal about his opinions, lashed out at the technology and called for more transparency after Root’s dismissal.
“So here is a simple solution to help improve transparency and accountability: stick a camera and microphone in the truck so as that a decision is being made, we all know exactly what is going on, and how much humans are involved. You could argue that those running the technology in the truck are as important as the two standing umpires,” Vaughan said.
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Meanwhile, Hawkins was not impressed with Vaughan’s comments and referred to his comments as a bit uneducated.
“The commentary, I think, is a little bit uneducated. It is unfortunate from Vaughan, because, obviously fantastic player, really enjoyed watching him play, and a great commentator, very entertaining. But I think it’s a responsibility to the game, in terms of journalism,” Hawkins said on The Analytics Podcast:
He further advised Vaughan to do more preparation for his role before making such comments.
“Perhaps a little bit more preparation in terms of his role as a journalist may help him explain what’s happening to the huge fan base of cricket so that what he writes is factually correct. In the same way as Hawk-Eye has an obligation to be factually correct, perhaps journalists do too,” he added.
Vaughan also responded to Hawkins’ dig with a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“It’s very simple .. Show all decisions being made from the trucks then please for full transparency .. show the fans at home exactly how your operation works .. that’s all I have asked for .. look forward to seeing it in full flow for the next Test in India,” he wrote on X.
India have already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series with the last Test yet to be played. After losing the first Test, the hosts bounced back despite missing some star cricketers and won three matches on the trot to clinch the series.
