Chennai: Amidst the rousing hits, incisive deliveries, gravity-defying catches and tight finishes, IPL-11 has been making news for another reason — umpiring howlers.
We saw evidence of that again when Kolkata Knight Riders’ Tom Curran was adjudged to have bowled a no-ball against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday when almost half his foot was within the crease.
What is relevant here is the front foot’s first point of contact with the ground. If any part of his foot is behind the crease — and not on or beyond it — it is not a no-ball. It does not matter if the bowler drags his foot after landing it legitimately, it is still not a no-ball.
No-ball is a big deal, particularly in the shorter formats when it is accompanied by a free hit and can so easily lead to momentum shifts, alter the result of a close game.
And cricket’s governing body must make provision for the use of television replays each time a no-ball is called in T20 cricket and not just after dismissals as is the case now.
And it has just not been about no-balls (for height too) in the ongoing IPL. There have been embarrassing errors such as a seven-ball over — a crime in T20 cricket where last ball finishes are commonplace — faulty leg-before and caught-behind decisions, apart from some wrong calling of wides.
The use of DRS — one unsuccessful review per innings — has rescued the situation somewhat but the umpiring, still, has been a letdown.
Take the shocking incident in the game between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore that showed both the broadcaster and the third umpire in poor light.
After Jasprit Bumrah had Umesh Yadav caught, the umpire stopped the batsman to check for no-ball. Unfortunately, the wrong replay, that actually had Umesh standing at the non-striker’s end, was shown! The error was overlooked by the third umpire.
Former international umpire Shavir Tarapore said to The Hindu , “there is so much technology and scrutiny now and so many cameras. Nobody is perfect, and umpires are no exception. They are also humans.”
When Tarapore started his umpiring journey, he was told to look for no-balls first because that was where everything started.
And, is the BCCI following the right selection process for umpires in IPL? The umpires are graded in BCCI and around 12 of them are in top-tier, who get paid ₹20,000 per day for the Board games.
Not all of them get picked for IPL. Some umpires in the lower rung, ₹15,000 a day, have been chosen for the IPL.
It’s time the BCCI set things right. Umpiring errors so often have a decisive impact.
