IND vs WI: Third umpire to call front foot no balls during series

Virat Kohli gestures during a practice session ahead of the first T20 cricket match against West Indies at Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad. Pic/ PTI

Dubai: Front foot no balls in the upcoming T20 and One-Day International series between India and the West Indies will be decided by the third umpire and not the on-field officials, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday. The series, comprising three T20 Internationals and an equal number of ODIs, starts on Friday in Hyderabad and technology to call front foot no balls will be put to trial in it. "Throughout the trial, the Third Umpire will be responsible for monitoring every ball bowled and identifying whether there has been any front foot infringement," the ICC said in a statement.

"If there has been an infringement on the front foot, the Third Umpire will communicate this to the On-Field Umpire who will subsequently call a no ball. As a result, the On-Field Umpire will not call a front foot no ball without the advice of the Third Umpire," it added. The ICC said the benefit of doubt in close calls will lie with the bowler.

"...and if a late no ball call is communicated, then the On-Field Umpire will rescind a dismissal (if applicable) and call no ball. The On-Field Umpire will remain responsible for other in-game decisions in the usual way," the ICC said. "The outcomes of the trial will be used to gauge whether the system has a beneficial impact on the accuracy of no ball decisions and whether it can be implemented while minimising disruption to the flow of the game," it added.

The decision to make third umpire the adjudicator of front foot no balls was taken in August this year. The system was first trialled in the ODI series between England and Pakistan back in 2016. The ICC decided to test it again after its Cricket Committee recommended its use in as many limited-overs matches as possible.

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