Mitchell Starc has criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the Decision Review System (DRS) controversy took centre stage in Adelaide for the third 2025-26 Ashes Test between Australia and England.
DRS controversy in the Ashes
On the opening day, Alex Carey survived a contentious call due to an error by the Real Time Snicko (RTS) system. The Australian wicketkeeper admitted that he felt he’d edged the ball, and BBG Sports apologised for the mistake. England head coach Brendon McCullum to lodge an official complaint with the ICC as well.
England were convinced that Alex Carey was gone, but what's your take here?#Ashes | #DRSChallenge | @Westpac pic.twitter.com/g7bp7ptQXO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2025But the controversy didn’t stop there. On the second day, Jamie Smith was involved in two more such incidents. In the first, it was adjudged that the ball didn’t take his glove despite an apparent deflection. The other time, Jamie was adjudged out despite a clear gap between the bat and ball.
Starc calls for change
Starc was heard saying, “Snicko needs to be sacked,” on the stump mic after Jamie’s first reprieve. Now, the Australian fast bowler has questioned the ICC. He has questioned why the international body hasn’t mandated the use of one single technology and paid for it themselves.
“I’m sure it’s frustrating for everyone – viewers, officials, and broadcasters, no doubt. One thing I will say … I’m only going to speak for myself here; the officials use it, right? So why doesn’t the ICC pay for it? And why is it not just one (provider) across the board? Why don’t we use the same technology in all the different series? That’s going to perhaps create less confusion, less frustration. So that’s where I’ll leave that,” said Starc.
England were convinced that Alex Carey was gone, but what's your take here?#Ashes | #DRSChallenge | @Westpac pic.twitter.com/g7bp7ptQXO
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2025ICC to step up?
At the moment, the host broadcasters employ DRS technology. In Australia and New Zealand, Snicko is used, while India, England and South Africa rely upon UltraEdge. Previously, Australia also employed Hot Spot, which used infrared imaging to detect bat-ball contact.
However, in the ongoing Ashes, this technology isn’t being used by the broadcasters, as it costs around $10,000 per day. To save money, they have opted for a cheaper option in Snicko. However, given the growing mistrust, we might just see a change. Cricket Australia (CA) and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are expected to talk to the ICC regarding the matter, and we might have an ICC-funded DRS system soon.
‘Why doesn’t ICC pay for it?’ – Mitchell Starc questions Snicko’s use after Ashes debacle Inside Sport India.
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