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The future of umpiring?

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
On Sky's coverage over here Strauss & Key point out that often the third ump spends a fair bit of time deciding if a ball has gone for 4, which, when the batters have generally run 2 or 3 anyway, usually isn't anywhere near as crucial as a wicket-deciding decision. I think that for any decision where an umpire isn't sure he should be able to refer and if (like in rugby league) the tv camera footage isn't conclusive the TMO should be able to say "sorry, can't tell" and refer it back for the umpire's call.
That's the most frustrating point of it all. I'm still undecided regarding technology, but how the hell can we justify spending so long deciding whether a shot deserves 3 runs or 4, yet we can't use it to tell us if Sangakkara is out in a series deciding test match on the 5th day when he's on 192?

Just makes no sense at all.
 

FRAZ

International Captain
Following the absolutely shocking umpiring decisions on day one of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka, where does everyone see the standard of umpiring and where it will be at in 5-10 years?

Will we eventually see a time where there will be two umpires on the field, but they will just be there to single fours and sixes? Will every decision, no ball/wide call, etc go to the third umpire?
James! Basically I'll stick with Wasim Akram's statement that keep cricket as humanly natural as possible . I know that for a common viewer (the one whose team is at the receiving end) feels bad if there are a few decisions which would have been different if the decision was technologically assisted . For me and Wasim Akram there should be a limit till which the technology should be taken under consideration cuz too much technology will eliminate the human factor and excitement out of the game . I have no problem with Bucknor's occasional mistakes or lets say Bird's little mistakes cuz these are the few petty mistakes which keep the viewer at the edge of his/her seat and all these discussions on the discussion boards are alive due to such things . And this "what if" factor is what makes cricket a little more exciting . But yes "Hair" like elements shouldn't be there but any other human mistake is welcomed atleast by me ....
 

FRAZ

International Captain
James! Basically I'll stick with Wasim Akram's statement that keep cricket as humanly natural as possible . I know that for a common viewer (the one whose team is at the receiving end) feels bad if there are a few decisions which would have been different if the decision was technologically assisted . For me and Wasim Akram there should be a limit till which the technology should be taken under consideration cuz too much technology will eliminate the human factor and excitement out of the game . I have no problem with Bucknor's occasional mistakes or lets say Bird's little mistakes cuz these are the few petty mistakes which keep the viewer at the edge of his/her seat and all these discussions on the discussion boards are alive due to such things . And this "what if" factor is what makes cricket a little more exciting . But yes "Hair" like elements shouldn't be there but any other human mistake is welcomed atleast by me ....
And also it doesn't necessarily mean that my major was "marketing" a few years ago . And also it doesn't necessarily mean that I see the thing's profitabilty or I am soooo different than the ordinary human beings ! Thank you !
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
It's the opinions as facts alarm!
Well, yeah, I can read y'know, just wondered where he got the idea from.
Cook was the LBW. Pietersen was the dropped catch
Oooh, yeah, need an edit there...
TV Cameras can...
They can't, though. If Harper had been watching with such slo-mos, mats, and all the things TV cameras have, he'd never, ever have given that out. Never. Equally, no-one would have been able to give a certain decision just by watching on TV in normal speed. No chance.

Don't confuse cameras with the aid of replays and all with cameras by themselves.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Agreed, seems fairly simple to me. Tennis rules isn't it, I don't follow the game that much? I also like the idea that if the appeal is substantiated you keep your referrals, after all England would be on their third by now:@
In tennis it's more simple, the ball travels unhindered to it's destination and is either in or out and there's no room for argument. If you start referring LBW's you're still using quess work as to where the ball would travel after it hits the pad. If Hawk Eye shows it clipping the top of a bail there's still doubt as to whether it would have done so and you still have the "benefit of the doubt" argument.
Of course in the case of the Cook dismissal a hawk's eye wasn't necessary as a one-eyed budgie with a squint could have seen that that wasn't out.
 

grecian

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
In tennis it's more simple, the ball travels unhindered to it's destination and is either in or out and there's no room for argument. If you start referring LBW's you're still using quess work as to where the ball would travel after it hits the pad. If Hawk Eye shows it clipping the top of a bail there's still doubt as to whether it would have done so and you still have the "benefit of the doubt" argument.
Of course in the case of the Cook dismissal a hawk's eye wasn't necessary as a one-eyed budgie with a squint could have seen that that wasn't out.

Yes, but as Brumby said, unless it's obvious, let it ride. I'm not sure it can work with most LBWs, but some are clearly errant, like Sidebottom crashing it into his pads, for instance.
 

slugger

State Vice-Captain
Re: hawkeye
If you start referring LBW's you're still using quess work as to where the ball would travel after it hits the pad. .
Isnt that what an umpire has to do, 22 yard away with 2 eyes. hawkeye makes its pedection using six cameras tracking the ball, Hawk-Eye picks up the exact spot where the ball pitches. Hawk-Eye also measures the speed of the ball from the bowler's hand.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Re: hawkeye
Isnt that what an umpire has to do, 22 yard away with 2 eyes. hawkeye makes its pedection using six cameras tracking the ball, Hawk-Eye picks up the exact spot where the ball pitches. Hawk-Eye also measures the speed of the ball from the bowler's hand.
Yeah, that's why I said it's still quess work whether you use Hawk Eye or the umpires naked eye. Hawk Eye may be more accurate but it's still guess work and therefore still has an element of doubt.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Well, yeah, I can read y'know, just wondered where he got the idea from.
An alarm that makes a noise...? Well I'm just stunned no-one had thought of it before...

They can't, though. If Harper had been watching with such slo-mos, mats, and all the things TV cameras have, he'd never, ever have given that out. Never. Equally, no-one would have been able to give a certain decision just by watching on TV in normal speed. No chance.

Don't confuse cameras with the aid of replays and all with cameras by themselves.
What are you talking about? No-one's suggesting umpires only use cameras at full speed. :huh:
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
What I'm on about is that the camera, in itself, is not better than something 60 yards closer when the two are equal.

The fact that it can give better observations with an lbw decision with slo-mos and all sorts of other aids doesn't prove anything. Until you can get cameras hovering over the slips and in the ring, the Umpire is always in a better position to see a catch there than a camera way outside the boundary.
 

SirBloody Idiot

Cricketer Of The Year
The first move is to hand the calling of no balls to the third umpire like they did in the Champions Trophy a few years back. It takes a whole lot of pressure off the umpires and allows them to concentrate fully on making decisions.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Doesn't even need to be done by the third-Umpire TBH, can just be done by use of a Cyclops like in tennis. Is far better that way, because if the third-Umpire is watching for no-balls he can't watch the action head-on.

But yeah, that should be the first thing taken out of the hands of the standing Umpire. Before even run-outs and the deciding whether something's gone for four or gone for six. Baffles me that it still hasn't been done. Can certainly be done at First-Class level and hopefully at some more affluent clubs too.

Something I've always wondered is how much better decisions might be if the standing Umpire didn't have to even think about no-balls.
 

Dan

Hall of Fame Member
I am seriously considering becoming an umpire, but it would be much easier if you had that cyclops thing there.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
I am seriously considering becoming an umpire, but it would be much easier if you had that cyclops thing there.
The cyclops isn't quite so easy to impliment in cricket as it is in tennis. It has a button which has to be held down only as the ball approaches the line and then released, otherwise it could go off at anytime. A job done by the linesman. In tennis there is also nothing else infringing the line, in cricket the non-striker could just as easily set it off.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
The easy trick for that is to get the non-striker off the pitch. Would be so much better as it'd stop him impeding the bowler when the bowler attempts to field the ball too.
 

bond21

Banned
ffs quit whinging about umpiring.

unless a decision is ridiculously wrong noone should complain.

its easy to find a mistake when u look at 50 replays of it.

And a third umpire for wides? youve got to be joking.

Having a third umpire for every decision would be 1. Pointless

and 2. alienate the international standard from lower standards of cricket.

If the umpire does not make any decisions, which will happen when hell freezes over, noone will bother to become an umpire.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
The easy trick for that is to get the non-striker off the pitch. Would be so much better as it'd stop him impeding the bowler when the bowler attempts to field the ball too.
Whatever rules you bring in to justify using cyclops are irrelevant as it still needs to be manually operated, ie switched on and off between deliveries to prevent it going off every time something crosses the line. The operater would also have to switch it off before the rest of the bowlers body crosses it after his front foot, which would be impossible.
Even if an operator with such lightning reflexes could be found, the fact that it still needs manually operating means they'd be just as well off getting someone to watch the cameras that are already in place.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Why can't the standing Umpire switch it on as the bowler approaches his delivery stride then off again afterwards?
The operater would also have to switch it off before the rest of the bowlers body crosses it after his front foot
Why?
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Why can't the standing Umpire switch it on as the bowler approaches his delivery stride then off again afterwards?

Why?
Anything crossing the line will set it off. He'd have to switch if off the instant the front foot lands and before any other part of the body crosses the line. Even if he was that quick - which is unlikely - it's not removing him from having to watch the front foot, which negates it's use altogether.
 

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