January 2025: Pakistan's captain Shan Masood expressed his frustration and confusion following his dismissal in the second innings of the final Test against South Africa, questioning the accuracy of the Hawkeye technology used during the Decision Review System (DRS).
Masood, who had been batting confidently for nearly six hours and was on 145 runs, was dismissed by debutant Kwena Maphaka. The delivery, which initially seemed to be going down the leg side, struck Masood's back pad, prompting the South African team to review the on-field umpire's decision. The ball-tracking system, however, showed the ball would have crashed into the stumps, leading to the dismissal being overturned.
Masood was visibly baffled by the ball-tracking data that contradicted his perception of the delivery. "It's simple. It was an outswinger. If you see the ball that I was beaten by, it jagged away a long way," Masood said, clearly unhappy with the decision. "I was beaten on the outside edge, and it was shown as an inswinger. I was baffled by that, to be very honest."
The delivery in question was bowled from the over-the-wicket angle, and Masood's attempt to defend it saw him beaten by the swing, with the ball landing low and striking him on the outside of the pad. Although the ball-tracking suggested an inswinger, Masood was adamant that it was an outswinger, saying, "I was hit more on the outside of the leg than the inside. It shows it on the inside. That’s not an inswinger."
Masood, who had been relatively untroubled during his lengthy stay at the crease, felt the ball-tracking had inaccurately depicted the trajectory. "With the naked eye, you could see it felt like it was outside the line as well. I just felt it was a different picture."
The dismissal sparked a mix of emotions from Masood. As the decision was overturned, he expressed his anger and frustration with the technology, gesturing to the ball's movement as he walked off the field. "It’s up to the administrators to see if that’s a fair decision or not, but I certainly felt that technology didn’t show the trajectory of how that ball was," Masood added.
Masood's comments highlight the ongoing debate about the accuracy of technological systems like Hawkeye in cricket. While these systems are designed to assist umpires in making correct decisions, there are instances where players, like Masood, feel that the technology does not always reflect the true nature of the delivery.
After this controversial dismissal, Pakistan went on to suffer a series whitewash at the hands of South Africa, which added to the emotional weight of the moment for Masood. Despite the setback, he remained focused on the bigger picture, stating, "It’s a tough decision to swallow, but that's cricket. The technology is there, and it's up to the authorities to decide how best to use it."
Masood’s frustration over the decision only added to the intensity of what was a difficult series for Pakistan, but his openness regarding his belief in the technology’s failure shows how much weight players place on accurate decision-making.
Last Updated on January 7, 2025 by Sandeep
