Real-time Snicko, Hot Spot may make 'surprise' last-minute entry in winter Ashes

The real-time Snickometer, which is the latest technology gizmo of cricket, may reportedly make a 'surprise' late-entry into the game's Decision Review System (DRS) in the winter Ashes series following negotiations between the ICC, Australia and England.

The ICC has reportedly permitted the trial of the new device in the DRS for the winter Ashes, pending the agreement of both countries' governing bodies.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, infra-red camera device Hot Spot, which was dumped last month following its failure to pick up nicks on bats during the summer Ashes, is also likely to be revived as a DRS and broadcast tool in the winter Ashes after talks between Channel Nine and the device's inventor Warren Brennan resumed.

The report mentioned that the addition of the real-time Snicko and the Hot Spot, both Brennan's inventions, would be a major development for the much-maligned DRS as it would mean that TV umpires in the Ashes would be further boosted by these devices, along with ball-tracking, stump microphones and slow-motion replays.

An updates version of previous audio technology that analyses potential nicks, the real-time Snicko's advantage is that it provides results much faster to the third umpire than its predecessor, which took a large amount of time to match up the audio recorded with video images.

However, the report mentioned that a potential stumbling block would be the need to train umpires in the short time before the first Test and to determine how they should use the improved Snicko to make a decision.