Ben Stokes faces BAN THREAT after accusing ICC, Umpires of destroying cricket

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Ben Stokes react to SCG DRS drama

Drama erupted on the final day of the fifth and final Ashes 2025-26 Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) as another controversial Snicko decision left England and Ben Stokes furious and reignited a growing debate over the use of technology in the game of cricket.

Snicko sparks fiery scenes at SCG as Ben Stokes and England boil over

During Australia’s chase of 160, England thought they had an early breakthrough when Brydon Carse delivered a sharp ball to Jake Weatherald. The English players were convinced the ball brushed the bat and carried cleanly to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

However, the on-field umpire, Ahsan Raza, did not raise the finger, prompting Stokes to go for a review. When the replays were shown, a faint but clear spike appeared on Snicko as the ball passed the bat. Every replay shown on the big screen sparked cheers from the England supporters in the crowd during the New Year’s Test at the SCG.

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However, those cheers quickly turned into loud boos when the third umpire didn’t overturn the decision, giving a lifeline to Weatherald in the final Ashes Test. This call triggered an angry reaction from Carse. He walked straight up to umpire Raza and appeared to place his arm on the umpire’s shoulder while expressing his frustration.

Stokes steps in, Carse loses control in fiery Ashes clash

Sensing the situation could escalate, Stokes immediately stepped in and pushed away Carse before having words with the on-field umpire. However, the tension did not stop there, as Carse exchanged heated words with Weatherald after completing the final ball of his over at the SCG.

As he walked back to his mark, the England pacer also bumped into Travis Head, adding more fuel to an already fiery moment. Because of these actions, Carse could now face scrutiny from the ICC match referee Jeff Crowe, especially for making contact with both Head and the umpire.

This incident was only the latest in the Ashes series, where Snicko technology made headlines for its errors. Both Australian and English players have openly shown disappointment with how the system worked during the Ashes, with the third Test in Adelaide becoming a major talking point.

In that match, a clear error occurred when Alex Carey was not given out on 72 despite edging the ball. Carey went on to score a century, and after the match, the company responsible for Snicko accepted full responsibility, admitting it was due to human error.

Ashes ends, but Snicko debate explodes after Ben Stokes’ strong stand

At that time, Stokes had admitted that the match officials were only following the existing guidelines. However, the decision over Weatherald left the England captain confused and frustrated, especially because the spike on Snicko appeared clear to many watching.

The England captain strongly pushed the need for consistency and backed the idea that the same technology should be used everywhere in world cricket. He felt situations like this should not keep happening and questioned why different standards exist across countries and series.

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Ben Stokes said at the post-match press conference, “This one here, I just thought was out. There was a noise, a frame after the ball obviously passed the bat … so it should have been given out. Where has the consistency gone? I just don’t get it. Why do we not use the same technology all around the world?”

Why Different Rules Everywhere?

Stokes also made it clear that these decisions were not the reason England lost the Ashes 4-1, but he pointed out that the issue keeps coming back again and again, creating unnecessary controversy.

He signed off by saying, “This kind of stuff shouldn’t be spoken about, because that’s not the reason why we’ve lost [the series] 4-1, but the fact that it keeps on coming up … something should be done about it. Just use the same technology everywhere just so we don’t have to sit up here and have these conversations.”