Captaincy & DRS Strategy
Two reviews, 80 overs — spend them wisely.
Each side gets 3 unsuccessful reviews per in Tests, 2 in white-ball cricket (post-2020 update during COVID).
Top captains (Joe Root, Pat Cummins, Babar Azam) consult the and first within ~5 seconds before reviewing — a delayed call is usually a no.
Review percentages: ~30% success is the elite baseline; below 20% suggests the captain is reviewing on hope, not on evidence.
Technical Breakdown
19-section schemaHistory
Neutral umpires became standard in the 1990s; the Decision Review System () was introduced in cricket in 2008 and refined with ball-tracking and .
Famous Players
Drills → real performancesPat Cummins
2011–presentRight-arm fast (Australia, captain)
Pat Cummins (Right-arm fast for Australia, captain, 2011–present). Best known for: Wobble-, 2023 WTC win. Uses a scrambled- wobble at 145 km/h to deviate either way off the surface; led Australia to the 2023 World Championship and World Cup.
Babar Azam
2015–presentTop-order batter (Pakistan)
Babar Azam (Top-order batter for Pakistan, 2015–present). Best known for: Modern -drive standard. His is taught as the modern textbook — high front elbow, knee bent just enough to keep the bat coming down straight.
Joe Root
2012–presentTop-order batter (England)
Joe Root (Top-order batter for England, 2012–present). Best known for: Modern run-machine. Master of the late steer through third — uses an open and almost no to manipulate length balls behind .