#NewsBytesExplainer: What is the 'dead ball' clause of DRS?
Several elements of the Decision Review System (DRS) have been under the scanner in international cricket of late. The ongoing series between India and England saw controversies pertaining to the same, which also includes umpire's call. This time, the 'dead ball' clause of DRS is under the scanner, with several debates on it taking rounds. Let us decode the clause.
How did the incident transpire?
The debate was sparked when RIshabh Pant was given out lbw in the first innings of second ODI. As Pant reviewed it, replays showed there was a thick edge, due to which, the ball flew past Jos Buttler to the boundary rope. Although Pant's dismissal was overturned by taking DRS, India were not awarded the boundary due to 'dead ball' clause.
A look at how Pant was given out initially
ICC playing conditions (DRS): Clause 3.7 of Appendix D
The ICC rule states, "If following a player review request, an original decision of Out is changed to Not-out, then the ball is still deemed to have become dead when the original decision was made." "The batting side, while benefiting from the reversal of dismissal, shall not benefit from any runs that may subsequently have accrued from the delivery had the on-field umpire originally."
The ball becomes dead after umpire gives out
In Pant's case, the original decision of on-field umpire was out. However, it was overturned after he opted for DRS. As per ICC's rule, the ball becomes dead the moment umpire raises the finger for an lbw decision. This means any runs scored off that ball will not be counted in case the decision gets overturned after DRS usage.
The dead ball can also be removed
Pertaining to the rule, several experts argue that in cases where a decision is overturned (out to not-out), the dead-ball clause must be removed. If a decision can get reversed, the dead ball could also be eliminated.
The clause is usually unfair for the batting side
As per cricket pundits, there might be several scenarios where this rule could be unfair to the batting team. "So, Pant lost on 4 runs because of a glaring umpiring error. Repeating this for 101010364th time. What if this happened on the final ball of the World Cup final with the batting team needing 2 to win???" former Indian opener Aakash Chopra tweeted.
