Key decision is big let off for South Africa against England and highlights why technology must be used to call out front-foot no-balls
The current argument in football is that VAR is sucking the life out of the sport because checks for offside after every goal ruin the moment of spontaneous joy. In cricket, despite technology having been a feature of the international game for more than a decade, there is a similar problem. That is because the lack of automated checks for front‑foot no-balls until something of significance occurs means bowlers are only being scrutinised for overstepping after they have taken a wicket.
This was the case shortly after lunch on the second day of this second Test when England’s Stuart Broad produced a beautiful ball to dismiss Rassie van der Dussen only for the “wicket” to be chalked off after checks on his front foot – of which nothing was behind the line – deemed it an illegal delivery.
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