Revolutionizing No-Ball Adjudication: IPL 2024 and Hawk-Eye’s Collaborative Breakthrough
The collaboration between IPL and Hawk-Eye aims to resolve the debate surrounding above-waist no-balls in cricket.
The IPL, in partnership with Hawk-Eye, has implemented technology to measure the height of the ball as it passes the batter at the popping crease, eliminating the subjective aspect from the decision-making process associated with above-waist no-balls. The batter’s toe-to-waist height, which was previously measured and recorded, is then compared to that. The ball is ruled a no-ball if its height is more than the batter’s registered waist height. It’s a fair delivery otherwise.
Gerald Coetzee, a fast bowler for the Mumbai Indians, became the first player to get dismissed under the new system on Wednesday when his sixth-inning delivery to Abhishek Sharma, the match’s opening delivery against Sunrisers Hyderabad, was called a no-ball.
The Mumbai Indians players, including captain Hardik Pandya and his predecessor Rohit Sharma, questioned why it wasn’t deemed a wide when the ball was just outside the mark, even though the on-field umpire signaled it right away.
Coetzee had hit a lofty full-toss that was well outside off stump as well. At 1.44 meters, it was 0.42 centimeters higher than Abhishek’s 1.02-meter waist measurement. After Hardik reviewed the no-ball call, both readings appeared on the left panel of the TV screen. The ruling of no-ball was maintained.
Every player in the IPL has had their waist height measured by Hawk-Eye, and the results are stored in their database. During the review, the third umpire has no say because Hawk-Eye has established a computerized method to determine measures. It has also been discovered that Hawk-Eye has been conducting experiments for the previous two years, and following the 2023 season, they presented their upgraded graphics to the IPL.
It is anticipated that the controversial decisions made in deciding waist-high no-balls, like in prior IPL seasons, will no longer occur under the new method.
The third umpire in the 2023 Indian Premier League, which was held in Hyderabad, interestingly, made one such call during SRH’s game versus the Lucknow Super Giants.
When Avesh Khan was with LSG in the last over of the SRH innings, he appeared to be giving Abdul Samad an above-waist full toss.
A no-ball was decided upon on the field. But after spending a lot of time studying the ball-tracking equipment, the third umpire reversed the on-field call. The ball passed Samad at the popping crease when he was crouching a little, and at full height, the ball would have been below his waist, according to the third umpire’s considerations.
