Jayawardene for exploring third-umpire intervention in above-waist no-balls

Thursday, 28 April 2022 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene believes there should be a discussion on whether the third umpire should alert the on-field umpires for over-the-waist no-balls, but he did not condone the role of Delhi Capitals' players and support staff in the controversy that took place during the final over of their game against Rajasthan Royals last week. Jayawardene is also a member of the ICC's Cricket Committee, the panel that oversees the playing conditions in international cricket.

"Probably, the umpires did get it wrong, but the rules say that you can't go to the third umpire or check on those things," Jayawardene said on The ICC Review. "It is something, I think, going forward we need to look at: whether [there should be] the option for the third umpire to come on the field, on to the main umpires and inform them that it's a delivery you should check. But... the spirit of the game, and to see things moving forward, it's never an option for any coach or any player to come on to the field.”

"We are given an opportunity during the strategic time-out to come out in the IPL, and that should be the only time the coaches or anyone else should be allowed."

Under the current playing conditions, all foot-fault no-balls are anyway checked by the third umpire. The on-field umpires can check the height of a delivery if it has resulted in a dismissal, but the ball in question went for a six. It remains to be seen whether the ICC Cricket Committee will bring up the waist-high no-ball topic for discussion at its next meeting. The committee, which usually meets a few times a year, has BCCI's top administrators sitting on it: Sourav Ganguly, who replaced Anil Kumble as the chairman, and Jay Shah, who was added last month as representative of Full Member boards.