The front foot no ball has cost England some crucial wickets in this Ashes series, with Tom Curran and Mason Crane in particular dismissing batsmen only to find they had stepped over the line in crucial moments.
With this comes the question: why isn’t the umpire calling the front foot no balls?
I am no umpire – I must state at the beginning I have a lot of respect for the umpires who conduct our games – but there needs to be something done when we review the front foot post-dismissal when the fielding or batting team has not requested a review.
I can already hear people say, “Well, put your foot behind the line and this won’t matter”. This is true but, like anything, if you don’t think you are doing anything wrong and you are never told otherwise, why change what you are doing? The front foot doesn’t get checked in any cricket other than international games, so why are we doing it for this version only?
[latest_videos_strip category=”cricket” name=”Cricket”]
Umpires have never been under so much scrutiny in the modern game. The decision review system (DRS) ball tracking, snicko – the umpires cannot escape. Overall I’d give the umpires a pass mark for the Ashes, but I don’t think the game can go forward with the process of a batsman being given out only for the front foot to be checked, a no ball discovered and the batsman called back. It has to be one way or the other.
The current system doesn’t benefit anyone. The bowler could have bowled numerous front foot no balls prior to an important delivery, and when the ball comes he is signalled for a no ball despite the fact he has landed in the same spot for the last however many deliveries. This isn’t fair on the bowler or the fielding side.
The bowlers are being coached subconsciously that the deliveries they are bowling abide by the rules and the requirements of a fair delivery. Here are a couple of thoughts thrown around by some players yesterday in the change rooms.
Option one, which I think is the most relevant, would be for the umpire to take more initiative on the front foot calls and that the umpire cannot check the front foot post-dismissal unless DRS is called for. This is how the game has been conducted for most of its history, so it’s not a massive change for this to occur. According to the rules this should already be occurring. I suggest eliminating the checking of the front foot unless a review by either side is called.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Option two is that every single ball is reviewed and the umpires don’t focus on the front foot and instead monitor the rest of the game. I am afraid this is where the game is going. This could be similar to the foot fault in tennis. This could be something like a buzzer going off in the umpires microphone as the foot lands over the line. I don’t think this is the answer, as bowlers will continuously push the boundaries of where they can bowl from and the role of the umpire will slowly become limited with each bit of technology that is brought in.
Technology in the game of cricket does have its benefits – I don’t think there many arguing against that – but there has to be a definitive limit so that the umpire still has a role in the game which isn’t just assessing if a wicket has been taken. It’s only crueling bowlers and costing teams in big moments of the game.
Umpires are called to adjudicate the game, and the front foot at the moment is being left to technology, which isn’t fair to the bowlers in the current series. Is it just a fad of the series, or are some umpires getting into a habit of relying on technology to help them make their decisions?
Clayton Waters
Roar Rookie
I agree with you in the sense I am worried the umpires aren’t even looking anymore (at the front foot). Out of curiosity do you have the stats of overturned decisions for the series. Would be super interesting to see
Clayton Waters
Roar Rookie
In some senses I tend to agree but I am just curious to where it all stops. I don’t think it will happen but why don’t we just remove the umpires? Everything can be adujacated off the field now technically anyway. It’s far fetched but maybe not as far as we think
Johnny Dalmas
Guest
The umpire isn't changing his interpretation. He gives them out if he thinks they are out. Simple as that.
Sylvester
Guest
I have some sympathy for the umpires. Sometimes the foot can be only just over the line (or on the line and sliding forward) and calling it from behind isn't the best angle. Plus, if they call a no-ball that's not when a wicket is taken, you can't then retrospectively give the player out. I wonder if umpires at international find it difficult to adjust their eyes from the crease to the line of delivery with the pace some players are bowling at?
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
I find it amazing that since the umpires were able to review the front foot no-ball after dismissals has seen a huge drop in no-balls being called these days. It's almost as if the close ones are let go, because the umpires know they are able to check if that particular ball is a wicket ball. Back before the rule was brought in for the umpires, the umpires would just trust their gut if they believed the bowler has over-stepped and call the no-ball.
Big Daddy
Guest
After some of the decisions in the bbl the umpires should hand back their match fees.
Rob
Guest
I feel no sympathy for the bowler being denied a wicket for over stepping but you're dead right about the umpires failure to call the multitude of others being let go. The 3rd umpire should call them all or stay out of it altogether. How is calling Warner back for a millimetre no ball correct process and then allowing Vince and Malan to be given out LBW after clear inside edges? The DRS is there for a howler. Inside edges being given out LBW is a howler? I think the umpiring has been disappointing because of the inconsistence both on and off the field . Mitch Marsh was given the benefit yesterday and then Stoneman was given? That's inconsistent when the same umpire is changing his interpretations during the game. He gives all the close appeals or he doesn't.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I think for internationals the third umpire should do the no balls. Have him watch the camera, and alert the umpire if there’s a no ball. No point having it in real time as batsmen don’t have time to react anyway, they don’t change their shot or do anything differently. I did see the referral for the Shaun Marsh dismissal – I can’t really blame the umps for that, if they have tech they might as well use it, but I agree it looked very out in real time. Shrug. No time lost.
bazza200
Roar Rookie
To suggest that you would not want to review something as basic as a no-ball is silly every wicket needs to be checked. Jimmy Anderson Nathon Lyon and no where near being close to the front line so it can be done it's your practice and training.
Jacko
Guest
I dont get why its the Captains job to umpire the game now.....It all becomes the captains fault if the Umpire gets it wrong and the captain doesnt review the wrong decision...Then the Captain...or batsman for that matter...get rubbished for stuffing up the review system......Maybe we need the Umps to start umpiring the game again...Or let technology umpire the game....Either way in is in if the Ump rules one way but in is out if he rules differently.....All to much like guessing from what I see
Liam
Guest
Just have it checked by the third umpire every ball. The umpire signals it as the ball gets back to the bowler. Simple.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Actually, I wouldn't give the umpires a pass mark in the Ashes. The number of decisions overturned by DRS is actually staggering. In past series with other umpires we've regularly seen DRS consistently prove the umpire right, with just the really rare one being overturned, but in this series there have been so many decisions that have been overturned that running out of reviews by a team could be really crucial. As for the front foot no-ball, I've seen them review ones where the whole foot is completely behind the line, suggesting they aren't even looking at the front foot at all. That's not good enough. No balls need to be called. I've suggested before that if they are going to review them when a wicket falls they should do all of them, because otherwise a bowler could be bowling no-ball after no-ball and never get called unless a wicket falls. If the umpires want to continue not looking at the front foot then get the third umpire to do every one. Just have him continually watching the side-on crease shot as the ball is bowled and call it live. If a wicket falls and one is really tight then double check it, but just do all other ones live by the third umpire. Umpires being unwilling to make calls has been a consistent feature of the summer. Shaun Marsh was run out by a mile in the test by a direct hit with nobody near the stumps and yet the umpire sent it upstairs. Seen a bunch of things like that in the BBL too.
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
Wonderful thing, technology. Fixed all the things that were broken, and now it's fixing things that weren't.