World Cup 2019: ICC denies to review the use of zing bails in international cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is always for innovation in the game and has been responsible for bringing in many such changes that sometimes have benefitted the teams and sometimes become a headache. The Zing bails is one such innovation that has helped the third umpire in determining the exact moment the bails fall when the ball hits the stumps.

While one of their most dividing introductions was DRS, which has been accepted by everyone, the zing bails have their own problems. Majorly the zing bails have refused to dislodge on many occasions despite balls hitting them full blow, from spinners to fast bowlers. An instance of this happened in IPL 2019 when a Jofra Archer thunderbolt hit Prithvi Shaw’s stumps and they illuminated but the bails didn’t fall off.

ICC refuses to review the use of zing bails

Apart from IPL, in the previous World cup 2015, there were many instances, where the batsman has escaped because the bails, which illuminate upon impact, don’t fall off even when the wicket is disturbed. This phenomenon has continued to happen with commentators and experts asking ICC to take a call on such instances.

However, now the ICC has declared that they won’t be reviewing the use of zing bails. “The zing bails perform exactly like the regular ones, and in fact, are lighter than those used by umpires when it is windy. The bails are being noticed more because of the lights that illuminate them. If they were normal, and would not fall off, then one wouldn’t notice that” a source in ICC was quoted as saying by Times of India.

World Cup sees zing bails doing their thing

Something similar was seen when England took on South Africa in the ICC World Cup 2019’s opening encounter. The match was won by England, who outplayed South Africa in all aspects, with four English batsmen scoring fifties and Ben Stokes top-scoring with 89 runs, and picking two wickets. South Africa stood no chance in the chase of 311 runs as Jofra Archer blew them away with a burst of three wickets.

Spinner Adil Rashid might have got one extra wicket as well, as his delivery beat Quinton de Kock and hit the stumps full flush and stumps lighted up like it was Christmas, but the bails refused to fall, while the keeper was starting to appeal.

Here is the video of the instance zing bails zinged the bowler: