ICC To Introduce Front Foot No-Ball Technology At Women's T20 World Cup 2020

For the first time in history, front foot no-ball technology will be used at a global cricket event, that is the upcoming 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup, revealed the International Council Council (ICC) on Monday (February 11).

The role of a third umpire is set to become all the more important, as they will be assigned judging each delivery bowled, which was earlier, the job of on-field umpires.

While the television umpires were only consulted in case of a review previously, after the latest ruling of the ICC, they will help the on-field umpires in case a bowler oversteps.

In recent years, umpires often had to recall batsmen who were dismissed, after consulting with the third umpire, who would check a front foot no-ball on every dismissal.

Now, the television umpires will have to check each ball before conversing with the on-field umpires.

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Will Have Front Foot No Ball Technology

To make the gentleman’s game more fair and flawless, the ICC had been testing the front foot no-ball technology in India and the West Indies. By the help of television officials, more than 4,717 deliveries were checked and it resulted in 100 per cent accurate judgement of no-balls.

The prime cricket governing body released a statement, confirming that the new technology will be used in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, due to be held in Australia later this month.

“The third umpire will monitor the front foot landing position after each ball and communicate to the on-field umpire if the delivery was a no-ball,” read the ICC statement. 

Moreover, ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice shed further light on the issue.

“Cricket has an excellent track record of introducing technology to support the decision making of our match officials and I’m confident that this technology will reduce the small number of front foot no-ball errors at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” he said. 

Allardice added, “No balls are difficult for umpires to call accurately, and even though the percentage of deliveries that are no balls is low, it is important to call them correctly.”

This could be another step in the right direction, which could go on to help improve the game of cricket.

Meanwhile, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will get underway on February 21 and it will go on until March 8.