Manufacturer hits back over 'ridiculous' World Cup bails saga
The manufacturer of Zing bails admits he's "stumped" by the spate of non-dismissals at this year's World Cup, but insists his product can't solely be blamed.
Five separate batsmen have survived the ball clattering into their stumps at the England tournament, prompting captains, commentators and fans to demand answers to the issue.
David Warner became the latest not to have his bails removed against India on Sunday, despite the ball firmly hitting the bottom half of the stumps after rebounding off his bat and foot.
This is ridiculous. It’s the fifth time in the tournament the ball has struck the stumps but the bails have stayed put. pic.twitter.com/CIWZvr7qiI
— Senake Rajapakse (@SenakeRajapakse) June 9, 2019
A total of 35 players have been bowled in this year's World Cup, meaning one in eight times the bails have not been properly dislodged.
The weight of the Zing product has largely been blamed by critics, despite the ICC claiming they are no heavier than the wooden ones used in strong winds.
And the director of the Adelaide-based Zing David Ligertwood said there were a number of other factors likely at play.
"This issue isn't all about the weight of the bails, as a complicated interdependent range of factors come into play," he said.
"The bails, stumps, stump grooves depth and shape, pitch conditions, stump cam etc. all affect it.
"Testing shows the bail's weight isn't necessarily the most significant factor."
Zing have been used in both the Big Bash and Indian Premier League for a number of years, with small modifications made only a few years ago to make the removal of them easier.
The company point towards the benefit they have provided the game, namely giving the third umpire the ability to see the exact point bails have been dislodged for run outs and stumpings.
In an email this week, Ligterwood also highlighted a number of incidents where traditional wooden bails hadn't fallen from the stumps upon a batsman appearing to be bowled.
"This issue has always been part of the game, with the accepted concept being that it requires some force to disturb a batsman's 'castle'," Ligterwood said.
"The Zing wicket system has operated in well over a thousand games and this issue has not happened frequently.
"This recent cluster currently has us stumped!
"Zing is currently monitoring the situation, while reviewing all aspects and at the same time looking into whether there are some practical modifications that can be made in the future to make the bails come off easier."
