Letters: Reader congratulates UAE for the successful operation of the Barakah nuclear power plant, and sports fans discuss cricket
Cricket fans write in about the upcoming Test series and the Decision Review System
UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant promises a sustainable future
The Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, which generates clean nuclear energy is not only a milestone for the UAE, but also to the entire Arab world (“UAE becomes first Arab country to create nuclear energy with operations starting at Barakah plant”, Gulf News, August 01). This is another milestone after the successful launch of Hope Probe mission to Mars. A hearty congratulations to the visionary leaders of the UAE, as the UAE joins an elite club of 30 nations that operate 400 reactors, which generate 10 per cent of the world’s electricity needs. Nuclear power is a form of clean energy as it does not need to burn anything to create steam. Therefore, it does not emit greenhouse gases. The inauguration of the Barakah plant is no doubt a historic moment in the region’s history. It is a new chapter in the UAE story. Proud to be a resident of the UAE for the past 29 years, and it is like my home country.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
Cricket: India prepares for a four-Test series tour to be held in Australia
This refers to Australian wicketkeeper, Mathew Wade, who commented that Indian's pace bowling would not be as effective as New Zealand speedster Neil Wagner (“Cricket: Would like to face Glenn McGrath, says Rohit Sharma”, Gulf News, August 03). There is no surprise in such comments by the Australian players, as they are famous for such tactics just before the start of a Test series, especially in their country. We are sure that Virat Kohli and his boys will not be prey to their tactics. I have a feeling that Hardik Pandya would be the game-changer during our tour Down Under. The presence of Smith, Warner or Labuchange is not going to deter Kohli boys mission Down Under.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Chennai, India
‘Decision Review System has completely changed the game of cricket’
The benefit of the doubt (BOTD) is a principle exercised by umpires if they are uncertain about the batsman being out, in such a case the batsman is given favour (“ Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar slams loopholes in umpire referral system”, Gulf News, July 13). This principle is not explicitly mentioned in the laws of cricket; however, it can be educed from Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) laws. The MCC Law 31.6 which states: “(Consultation by umpires) each umpire shall answer appeals on matters within his/her jurisdiction. If an umpire is doubtful about any point that the other umpire may have been in a better position to see, he/she shall consult the latter on this point of fact and shall then give the decision. If, after consultation, there is still doubt remaining, the decision shall be not-out.” The logic behind the law is simple: The batsman has only one chance in the game, whereas the bowler gets multiple shots trying to get the batsman out.
While the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) has helped the bowling and batting sides to overcome any obvious umpiring mistakes, the traditional approach of following BOTD principle is hampering the umpire’s abilities to reach a certain conclusion about the fate of the batsman. This is where I believe that the contemporary technology involvement in the game necessitates umpires’ decision-making algorithm upgradation, and adaption to a more prudent approach, rather merely following BOTD principle in ambiguous situations.
The recent introduction of batting power plays, fielding restrictions, free hits, flat pitches, small ground, shorter boundaries, and bigger bats have all favoured the player exorbitantly. As a result, the game is becoming one-sided. For example, in World Cup 2019, 32 man-of-the-match awards were won by the batsman against 12 man-of-the-match awards won by the bowlers. So, to keep a fair amount of balance between the batsman and the bowler it is essential to amend traditional approaches like BOTD that is only serving the batters.
From Mr Saad Qaisar
UAE