What is ORS?
The ICC's plans for the ORS first came to light in July last year after Stuart Broad was given not out after edging the ball during an Ashes Test. The ICC decided to trial instant replays for the third umpire, allowing the third umpire to have more control over the replays he sees, instead of depending on the replays provided by the official broadcaster. In this system, an umpire sat in a separate broadcast truck with a bank of TV screens at his disposal where camera angles could be mixed according to his specifications.
What will ORS achieve?
With total control over camera angles, the system is intended to eliminate broadcaster bias, speed up the DRS process, and prevent howlers.
Where and how has it been trialled?
Apart from the trial during an Ashes Test in England, the ORS was used in the final ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi and the ongoing first Test between the two teams at the same venue. During the trials, the umpire with access to multiple replays has no impact on the decisions in the matches, but his feedback is used to strengthen the case for universal DRS implementation.
How is it an improvement?
The chosen official to provide the feedback for the Pak-Lanka Test, Simon Taufel, is working independently of the third umpire. He receives 16 real-time feeds from the match and also has a Hawk-Eye engineer to assist him. The third umpire receives replays from the broadcaster in 30-40 seconds, while Taufel, using ORS, receives the same footage in real time (5 seconds).
What are the drawbacks?
Costs could spiral; many member countries and broadcasters may not be willing to foot the extra bill. Also, some intrinsic problems with the DRS like the limiting of trials — which prevented Australia from appealing the Broad decision in the Ashes Test or the fact that it prompts some teams to use the system as a tactical tool instead of an umpiring aid — have not been addressed so far.
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