The recent trend among umpires has been in the areas of not being able to call foot no-ball calls consistently. The added pressure of the media and the commentators with endless replays has put quite a bit of pressure on the umpires who tend to concentrate more on the line and height at the other end for LBWs and faint edges. While I could consider that one of the easiest things for an umpire to do, more easy that keeping track of the numbers of balls in an over, it is evident that there is a need where technology which is 100% reliable, tried and tested, can be brought into play to assist the umpires on the foot no-ball calls. As this series progress, the Australian open is under-way, where tennis for quite some time have used sensors to beep out foot faults which has turned out to be quite fool proof and accepted by players and officials all round.

To ease the umpires from some of the pressure, the ICC should consider having sensors on the bowling crease which can beep out a signal to the umpire at the end and the third umpire. For this to work well, the ICC should make amendments to the no-ball rule, where it needs to be changed to a ball being called a ‘no-ball’ only when the foot is completely out of the bowling crease. Sensors can be activated on both sides of the crease individually and controlled according to the proceedings of the game like the choice of coming over or around the wicket. When a bowler steps over the line, a loud beep or vibrating buzzer can be set-off in the control console which typically will be with the umpires and also an additional signal gets passed on to the third umpires and television production units. This should considerably assist the umpires in channeling their concentration on the action happening further down the wicket.

Also, these sensors can further help in judging run-outs if identical sensors can also be installed on the stumps. The third umpire or the umpire at the end of action would easily be able to hear/differentiate two sets of buzzer/beeping noises, i.e one on the crease and the other on the stumps to check the dislodging of the bails. While this may not be able to assist in run-outs very accurately and can be annoying as bowlers/fielders can be at the end of contact, it could help at times the third umpire while deciding based on the television replays.

On a jovial note, it can also be used for the match referee or the third umpire to help waking up their colleagues at the field when they perceive the umps are loosing their concentration and are dozing off to sleep. Maybe an electricity surge can be sent and “”bzzzzz….uh?” and everyone is wide awake.

Some food for thought here… So what do you think? Will it be a fool proof technology at least for the foot no-ball calls?