Australia captain Steven Smith appeared to complain that the Spidercam used by host broadcaster Channel Nine interfered with his line of sight when he dropped a straightforward catch during the morning session on day three of the Sydney Test.
Smith hovered under a skier from KL Rahul off the bowling of Shane Watson, but was distracted in his vision and missed the chance, immediately pointing above towards the wires that suspend Spidercam above the play.
On Nine's commentary, Ian Healy described the incident as Smith tossed the ball away in disgust: "I think it's hit Spidercam, which means dead ball. Had to happen one day, looks like it is today ... he's got the sun to contend with, then he changes direction. Might not have hit the wire, might have just distracted him." The camera was rapidly moved higher and away from the field of play after the incident.
Cricket Australia and Channel Nine later clarified the ball had not hit the Spidercam or any or its wires. "We have spoken about the matter involving Spidercam and the dropped catch before lunch and it's clear the ball did not hit the camera or its supporting wires," the statement said. "Captain Steve Smith was distracted by one of the wires in his eye line. Both CA and Nine will continue to work together on the use of Spidercam in the broadcast coverage and will take on board any player feedback as necessary. As it stands, if any player has a concern about the placement of Spidercam they can ask the umpires for it to be moved."
The camera's use is commonly negotiated between the broadcast director and the third umpire, who maintain communication over the positioning of the camera and whether it is getting too close to the play.
When Rahul skied his attempted pull shot, the camera was placed close to the play directly behind the Australian slips cordon, where Smith hovered under the catch. The missed opportunity may prove costly for Australia, who only managed to claim one wicket during the session as India made steady progress.
The device, which was first used in the unauthorised Twenty20 Indian Cricket League in 2008, has been a part of Nine's coverage in Australia since making its debut during the Gabba Test against South Africa in November 2012.
It has brought unrivalled access to the field of play, most notably providing a unique angle above team huddles or celebrations of wickets or victories. However many have wondered whether the camera and its wires could interfere directly with play, as appeared to be the case with Smith.
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