With the next instalment of the Indian Premier League (IPL) almost around the corner, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keen on taking an extra step to make sure that match umpires capitalize on the advancement of technology in terms of monitoring front-foot no balls. The campaign which started to help umpires in terms of spotting front foot no-balls through technology in India’s first-ever pink ball Test (against Bangladesh) is expected to get resumed in their next assignment against the West Indies.
The apex cricket board in India is currently examining the technology of acquiring run out dismissals through cameras to spot bowlers overstepping, which further promises to flag every no-ball that match officials fail to call-out in a game. In the previous edition of India’s cash-rich domestic tournament, the failure of spotting front-foot no-balls by umpires has faced severe criticism.
On the international circuit, the recent incident of the 21 no balls episode that went unnoticed in the ongoing bilateral series between Australia and Pakistan is another testament to the need of having dedicated umpires, who will only monitor the overstepping done by bowlers. The Brisbane Test was brought under the scanner after match officials failed to spot almost two dozens of no-ball bowled by the Pakistani bowlers.
