The system will not be used Down Under.
As the second Ashes series of 2013 between Australia and England quickly approaches, it’s been announced that Hot Spot will not be used for the five-match series.
This is because the recent Ashes tour in England led to a string of controversial decisions being made based on the system.
It leaves ‘Eagle Eye’, audio device ‘Snickometer’ and slow-motion replays as the remaining tools available to the Third Umpire when making close decisions.
Channel Nine have paid Cricket Australia for the rights to broadcast the Ashes and Hot Spot’s inventor Warren Brennan has confirmed they opted out of using his invention.
“It’s their decision and that’s what’s been communicated to us. As far as I’m concerned, it is final,” Brennan was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We’re just moving on with things. Channel Nine have got a new deal with Cricket Australia which I know has cost them a lot more money. I gather there had to be some restructuring of costs.
“The disappointing thing for us is that Cricket Australia didn’t engage at all with us to try and come on board and help with this situation.
“They just said, ‘No, it’s got nothing to do with us. It’s Channel Nine’s responsibility.”
Reports emerged that players were coating their bats in silicon to stop Hot Spot from working – as the system works on detecting heat, which the silicon disguises.
The ICC general manager Geoff Allardyce even flew to Durham during the fourth Ashes test in England to try and give the players confidence in the system.
This was after Australia complained to the ICC about the bizarre decision to give Usman Khawaja out at Old Trafford using Hot Spot, despite replays seeming to clearly show the batsman wasn’t.
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