ICC defends no-ball policy

The International Cricket Council says it is not considering a change to the process of calling no-balls after the issue became a talking point during the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.

And the ICC general manger of cricket Geoff Allardice has dismissed any suggestion that the on-field umpires are no longer watching the front line.

Day two of the Test in south London saw two batsmen given a reprieve when the TV umpire correctly adjudged the delivery to be a no-ball; Steve Smith was recalled after getting an edge behind to a Steve Finn no-ball when on 92, while Mark Wood also got a let off when Mitchell Marsh overstepped.

Neither no-ball was called by the on-field umpire, who instead asked the TV official for assistance after the catch had been taken.

It was a similar situation in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, with Finn and Wood costing their team wickets in Australia's second innings when the TV official adjudged they had overstepped.

UK broadcaster Sky Sports also showed Australian quick Mitchell Johnson over-stepping eight times in a three-over spell on day two at The Oval, but he was not no-balled at any stage.

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Mitchell Johnson oversteps at The Oval

Former Australia allrounder Tom Moody was one of several pundits to call on the TV official to be given more control over adjudicating no-balls, telling Sky Sports that the umpires' view of the front line can often be obscured by other parts of the bowler's body.

Moody suggested cricket look at the way tennis uses technology to make tight line calls, but Allardice said no such plans are afoot and said on-field umpires are encouraged to signal a no-ball only when they are absolutely certain a bowler has overstepped.

"The ICC is not considering any proposal to move the responsibility for calling no-balls to the TV umpire, but it has been looking at new technology that allows the TV umpire to judge the legality of a delivery much faster than he has been able to in the past," Allardice said.

"An incorrect no-ball could cost the bowling team a wicket, so the umpires have been instructed to call no-ball only when they are certain that no part of the foot has landed behind the line.

"If the umpire is uncertain that the delivery is legal and a wicket falls, the no-ball can be checked immediately on replay and the batsman recalled if the delivery was found to be illegal.

"It is incorrect to suggest the umpires aren't watching the front foot landing, and it is incorrect to suggest that the umpires are not talking to the bowlers between deliveries about their front foot placement."

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The laws of the game state that umpires should position themselves "where he can best see any act upon which his decision may be required" and "where he does not interfere with either the bowler’s run up or the striker’s view".

But Allardice says it's not always that simple for the umpires out in the middle, who have to cast their eyes on the front line and then the batsmen in less than a second.

He maintained the top priority was avoiding an incorrect call of no-ball as it could cost the fielding side a wicket.

"It is not easy to call no-balls accurately in the split-second available," he said.

"There are times the bowler's front foot can be obscured by his back-leg at the time of landing, there are bowlers whose front foot slides forward after landing, and there are some bowlers who deliver with the heel raised, but behind the line, at the instant of delivery.

"All these situations can result in an incorrect call of no-ball."

Allardice also praised the umpires for their performances during the Ashes, where 32 of 36 decisions were upheld on review after challenges by players.

"Cricket fans usually judge the performance of international umpires by the correctness of their out and not out decisions, and in this regard the umpires have had an excellent Ashes series, with 97 per cent of their decisions correct before DRS," Allardice said.

"This is the best decision-making performance the ICC has recorded for a five-Test series.

"In a perfect world the umpires would be getting all the out and not-out decisions correct, as well as calling all the no-balls correctly.

"During the Ashes series the umpires have done an outstanding job with the correctness of their decisions, but there were some no-balls that were not called and this is an area in which they can improve."