'Smug' Shastri claims vindication of India's DRS stance following Ashes howlers

Former Indian captain Ravi Shastri has insisted that widespread criticism has vindicated India's blunt and uncompromising position on the Decision Review System (DRS), saying that the 'shit' has hit the roof in a massive series, referring to the Ashes.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, India's influence over the Asian cricket nations has been the stumbling block for the mandatory adoption of DRS technology across the international game, although the country believes that its natural distrust of the way ball-tracking and Hot Spot are deployed has been proved right.

The report further said that a succession of howlers marred Ashes Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord's, both won by England, while Australia's use of the review concept has come under attack.

Stating that India's unrelenting stance on the DRS has been unfairly attacked, Shastri, who sits on the technical committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is the media representative on the ICC Cricket Committee, said that India's distrust has proved prophetic in the Ashes, which has been badly hit by the DRS fiasco.

According to Shastri, critics can make their own judgement now that they have watched the DRS howlers with their own eyes in the Ashes, adding that India had been insisting that the review system be left in the hands of umpires, not players, which former Australian captain Ian Chappell had stated last week.

Shastri further said that even though he supported technology in the game, the way the DRS is deployed has left a lot of scope for improvement, adding that even though it is there to take away any howlers, it has instead created more confusion in the game.

Stating that he had made his thoughts and reservations clear on the DRS despite sitting in the ICC technical committee, Shastri further said that he had always believed that players should not be involved in any decision making and leave the job to umpires, even with technology.

Supporting India's stance, former ICC elite panel umpire Daryl Harper slammed the DRS and its impact on the game, saying that the system had constantly caused consternation and doubt, adding that the flawed system resembled a 'dog's breakfast'.

After the first Test at Trent Bridge, the ICC was even prompted to release umpiring statistics, admitting errors, with chief executive Dave Richardson conceding that 'India have got good reasons for opposing the DRS'.