Pat Cummins calls for changes to third umpire adjudication: "It's hard to give a batter out"

Steve Smith was denied to two catches by third umpire Richard Kettleborough in the third Test against South Africa. Simon Harmer, fielding for South Africa, had a catch to remove Marnus Labushagne overturned

Pat Cummins has called for changes to the way third umpires adjudicate catches, stating "any kind of benefit of the doubt" usually "goes the batter's way".

In the third Test between Australia and South Africa at the SCG, the home side were denied two catches by third umpire, Richard Kettleborough.

On day four, Steve Smith, standing at slip, thought he had removed Dean Elgar off Josh Hazlewood's bowling and 24 hours later, Smith once again thought he'd made a breakthrough, this time holding onto Heinrich Klaasen off Nathan Lyon.

However, both decisions – plus a catch by Simon Harmer against Marnus Labuschagne earlier in the match – were sent upstairs by the match umpires. Kettleborough overturned all three, deeming the ball to have touched the ground.  

The third umpires only have access to camera footage from the host broadcaster, in this case Fox Sports.

^{Nathan Lyon reacts after Steve Smith's catch is overturned [David Gray/Getty Images]}

"I don't really know the answers but there has to be a way to try and improve it," Cummins said after the match, which ended in a draw.

"As it currently stands, it's really hard to give a batter out. If there's any kind of benefit of the doubt, it goes the batter's way.

"I think with a couple of camera angles really slowed down it's hard to not find doubt somewhere. I do feel for Ketts a little bit up there. Maybe there's more cameras we can use down the track."

South Africa skipper, Elgar, was pleased with the consistency of Kettleborough's decisions, commenting: "The way the umpires conducted the three was pretty good. I think it was brilliant. Once you've set the bar with the first one, you can't really budge much from there Those things are always going to be a grey area."

Not out!

The third umpire decided this effort from Steve Smith touched the ground and Dean Elgar lives on #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/fy8bI6CAS6

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 7, 2023

Following the overturning of Harmer’s catch on January 4, England Test captain Ben Stokes called for the removal of soft signals in order to empower the third umpire to make a decision: "ICC should get rid off (sic) the soft signal and let the 3rd umpire who has all the technology to make the decision when the on field umpires send it upstairs, all the controversy is always around the soft signal given."

Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley, also reacted to Labuschagne's non-dismissal, admitting the supplying of TV replays should be reviewed.

"The broadcasting of cricket is probably the most complicated of any of the major sports. We have a huge number of cameras. Yesterday was really, really fine margins. The match referees and umpires are making the best calls they can with the information they have available," he said.

"It's something we will think about and have a look at and review. We'll have a look at it after the end of the Test match."

Related Topics

• Cricket Australia to consider review of third umpire replays
• Ben Stokes calls for removal of soft signal to empower third umpire "to make the decision"

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