Hot Spot inventor infuriates Vaughan

Hot Spot inventor Warren Brennan feels the tape applied to bat edges reduces the efficacy of the technology, and says protective coatings and covers should be removed from bats to that the wood will stand out.

Hot Spot inventor Warren Brennan feels the tape applied to bat edges reduces the efficacy of the technology, and says protective coatings and covers should be removed from bats to that the wood will stand out.

The Ashes series has seen a number of odd quirks from Hot Spot, and the latest is that silicone tape and protective coverings on bats prevent the system from working properly. Brennan thus feels such things should be banned.

Brennan said in a statement on Saturday: "During the current Ashes series, the DRS system has been highly controversial with Hot Spot in the eye of the storm.

"Our technology has been criticized for fine edges that have gone undetected. More than anyone else, BBG Sports (Brennan's company) wanted to know why.

"In layman's terms, the protective coating definitely diminishes Hot Spot marks. BBG Sports believes that in order to achieve optimum Hot Spot results then the removal of protective coating from bat edges needs to occur.

"This will allow for the best thermal signatures between cricket balls and natural timber cricket bats."

Brennan added: "At the end of the day no technology is 100 percent perfect, however at BBG Sports we are continuously researching and developing our products to provide the best technological service for sport."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was not impressed with the press release, saying Hot Spot should be removed from Tests, and that cricket wasn't there for Brennan's business' benefit.

He told the <i>BBC</i>: "The game of cricket isn't here to protect his business. We just want technology that will present the right result more often than not.

"In this series, Hot Spot hasn't produced the right result and to suggest that players take the protective covering off their bats is utter nonsense.

"It's not down to the game of cricket to try to help Hot Spot, it's down to Hot Spot to help the game of cricket. He clearly knows that his piece of technology isn't good enough so he's trying to devise a way that the game can help his technology and his business.

"Hot Spot clearly doesn't work with the tape on top and for that reason I don't think it can carry on."

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