The IPL Governing Council is planning to have an umpire specifically assigned to check “no balls” after several errors over the past few seasons have resulted in increased concerns about Indian match officials’ quality.
It was also learned that for the time being an awesome ‘Power Player’ idea of replacement during the IPL games has been shelved as the plan can not be piloted during the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (National T20) starting later this week.
The GC chaired by former Test batsman Brijesh Patel met at the cricket headquarters to discuss a range of issues, including the FTP window, the availability of foreign players, the Indian team’s FTP, the possibility of foreign players, and the possibility of playing friendly franchises abroad.
They, however, discussed on an exclusive umpire to test the controversial front-foot and height of no balls.
After the meet, a senior GC member told reporters, “If all goes well, during the next Indian Premier League, you could see another umpire apart from the regular umpires just to “observe” no-balls. The concept sounds weird, but this was among the issues discussed in the first IPL Governing Council meeting which was held here.”
He added, “We want to use technology. We are having another umpire for only observing no-balls. There will be an umpire, who will be focused on no-balls only. And he will not be a third or fourth umpire.”
During the last IPL, there were a lot of controversies when some debatable decisions about front-foot no-balls were made. India’s skipper Virat Kohli even had a heated word with Indian umpire S Ravi, who failed to spot a no-ball by the Sri Lankan legend representing Mumbai Indians, Lasith Malinga, which proved costly to the Royal Challengers Bangalore during one of the IPL games.
It is understood that at any of the domestic tournaments, the idea of having such umpires could be tried before a final call is taken on it. On the concept of ‘Power Player’, the official said: “The matter was discussed but there is too little time to implement during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which starts on Friday, November 8.”
On Friday, it was announced as per the PTI that there was little or no chance of incorporating ‘Power Player’ without the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s approval for the time being.
Sources close to the president had, in fact, said that there was no chance of implementing it right now.
In the BCCI halls, there were concerns whether a certain IPL operations man had developed a plan that would have benefited a particular franchise with aged players. A concept like this could also send on overdrive the possible bookies and match-fixers.
