The sooner the appeal system is brought into cricket the better. For one thing, it will add an extra layer of support to umpires, helping them avoid being made to appear fools by the slow-mo replays, hot spots, snickos, hawkeyes and wiseguys in the commentary box.
These days
they hunt in threes in the Channel Nine team. There are jobs for most of the boys - the heavy hitters Richie Benaud, Tony Greig, Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell, the import, Mark Nicholas, the new(ish) guys, Mark Taylor, Michael Slater and the cheerleader-in-chief Ian Healy. The quality varies markedly from voice to voice.
When Andrew Symonds was given out caught behind for a duck in Adelaide yesterday, he stood about, stared back at umpire Billy Doctrove and generally made it plain he reckoned he'd been dudded.
The replays suggested pad, bat and ball were in close proximity. He may or may not have touched it. Doctrove may not have got it right; if he didn't, let's just say he has made - and will in future make - far worse decisions in his career. But we then had to put up with commentators looking at every possible angle trying to find in Symonds' favour. Some decisively nailed their colours to Symonds' mast.
This is the same Symonds who smashed the cover off a delivery against India in Sydney last season on about 30, didn't walk, was given not out, went on to 162, and was a central figure in that game's allround nastiness.
It cuts both ways. Sometimes you get a slice of luck; other days you don't. Move on.
You don't need commentators mounting a vigorous defence, particularly for a player whose longterm boorish behaviour defaults any sympathy he might - or might not - have been entitled to.
