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London - A system where the third umpire is
responsible for the calling of front-foot no-balls will be trialled during the
upcoming England-Pakistan one-day series, the International Cricket Council
announced on Saturday.
The standing umpire at the bowler's end is
currently responsible for both checking for front-foot no-balls and then
adjudicating on whether a batsman is out at the other end, all in a matter of
seconds.
This already difficult task has become more
complicated in an era where bowlers' end umpires, in fear of being hit by a
hard-hit shot, stand further back from the crease than ever before.
The issue became a talking point once again
in February when Australia's Adam Voges, then on seven, was given not out during
a Test against New Zealand in Wellington after what replays showed was an
incorrectly called no-ball by English umpire Richard Illingworth.
Voges went on to score 239 in a
match-defining innings.
In the trial system to be adopted for the
five England-Pakistan ODIs, from August 24 to September 4, the ICC said the
standing umpire will not call any front-foot no balls without the third
umpire's advice, unless the side-on cameras are unavailable.
The ICC also said the third umpire will be
able to judge a no-ball "within seconds" of delivery and will
communicate a decision to their on-field colleagues by means of a vibrating
pager.
If the pager system breaks down, the third
umpire will relay his decision to the men in the middle by their standard radio
communication system.
"This trial is being carried out to
ascertain if there is a way in which front-foot no-balls can be called more
accurately and consistently, while also assessing the TV umpire's workload and
identifying the impact it will have on the flow of the game," said ICC
umpires and referees manager Adrian Griffith.
He added: "To ensure that the match
officials are thoroughly briefed and trained for this trial, the ICC will
conduct training sessions with the umpires and match referee in Southampton
(the venue for Wednesday's series opener) on Monday and Tuesday.
"The results of this technology trial will be shared with the ICC cricket committee, which will advise the ICC on future action."
