PSL 2020: When Ultra-edge, Snickometer glitch possibly granted Babar Azam a new life

KARACHI: A technological glitch on Sunday at the National Stadium in Karachi possibly granted Babar Azam a longer stay at the crease when, after an appeal was referred to the third umpire had no effect as the Ultra-edge and Snickometer both failed to work. 

Babar Azam was batting at 25 when he attempted a shot off a Naseem Shah delivery, narrowly missing the ball. Quetta Gladiators skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed reviewed the umpire's decision, thinking Babar had edged the ball into his gloves. 

Interestingly though, the third umpire had no choice but to go with the on-field umpire's review (after watching the appeal on slow motion) as the Snickometer and Ultra-edge both failed owing to a technological glitch. Both systems — used to detect whether a batsman had hit the ball or not — have been in use ever since the tournament began and referred to by umpires in making decisions. 

The on-field umpires settled the matter by staying with their original decision of giving Babar not out. According to the rules, if a review does not get the desired result, it is lost. However, in this instance, the umpires ruled that Quetta Gladiators had not lost their review. 

However, Babar wasn't able to stay for long at the crease as a few deliveries later, he was clean bowled by Tymal Mills on 26. 

Hawkeye software froze, says PCB

A spokesperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) responded to the glitch, saying that the Hawkeye's software froze. He said that the Ultra-edge software worked with the Hawkeye software. 

The PCB official said that the on-field umpires had decided that the Gladiators had retained their review.