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Mominul Haque Gets A Lucky Escape As Ball Tracking Falters In BAN Vs SA Mirpur Test

Sakshi Sharma∙ Updated: Oct 21 2024, 3:18 PM

Bangladesh vs South Africa (Source: @CricinfoHindi/x.com)Bangladesh vs South Africa (Source: @CricinfoHindi/x.com)

The opening session of the first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka faced a technical hiccup when the ball tracking technology became unavailable for a brief period due to an internet connectivity issue. The disruption occurred during a crucial moment when South Africa opted for a review, only to lose it without the use of the ball tracking technology.

The incident unfolded when South Africa called for a review following an on-field decision of Mominul Haque's wicket in the first ball of the 4th over in the first session. 

However, during the review, the third umpire only checked for an inside edge and did not employ the ball-tracking feature, which would typically be used to determine the trajectory of the ball for lbw decisions. Despite the ball tracking technology being available for the series, it was not utilized during this review.

However, South Africa's wait for the wicket was short-lived, as Bangladesh’s Mominul Haque was dismissed in the same over, caught out soon after the review. 

Fortunately, the technical issue was resolved later in the session, and ball tracking was back online when Mehedi Hasan Miraz unsuccessfully reviewed an lbw decision. The brief disruption left a mark on the opening session, that highlighted the reliance on technology in modern cricket and the potential impact of technical failures on the game.

Ball-Tracking Technology Returns In Mirpur Test After Temporary Issue 

The absence of the technology left many puzzled. When questioned about the situation, the broadcasters informed The Daily Star that the problem stemmed from an internet outage at the venue, which made the technology temporarily unavailable. A representative from the broadcast team stated, “The internet is not under us. It's under the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB].”

Further clarification came from Rakib Hossain Sajib, a network engineer from BCB’s internet service provider, Aamra Networks Limited, who explained that a technical issue caused the outage. 

“The internet was down for 10 to 15 minutes. There was a problem with our server. The power went down automatically on our main server. So it was a technical problem from our end,” Sajib said, acknowledging the disruption during the game.

As the match progressed, the return of the ball-tracking feature ensured that further reviews went smoothly. Still, the incident raised questions about the infrastructure in place to support the smooth operation of such critical technologies in high-profile international matches.