THE talking point over the last few days has been the fact technology could be taking over the responsibility of front-foot no-balls rather than the decision being left to the umpires.

In the England v Pakistan One Day International series, they have been trialling it to see if the third umpire is able to use instant replays to call front-foot no-balls more accurately.

It has raised a few thoughts from not only grassroots umpires, but international umpire coaches in some countries.

Questions asked have been why is the International Cricket Council (ICC) going down the technology route to solve an umpiring problem? Why not trial issuing stronger penalties against the bowler to try and eradicate the problem? Surely that would encourage bowlers to bowl more accurately as far as the placement of their feet.

An umpire coach from the northern hemisphere asked: 'why do we train umpires to use head and eye co-ordination to call no balls [which is] the easiest thing in the world with practice and experience? What will they do next – replace umpires with a robot?'

Who knows? More and more decisions are being taken off the on-field umpire.

One official asked: “What about the back-foot no-balls and who will be monitoring those, as the four cameras involved in the ICC trial will be focused on the popping crease at each end, not the return creases?"

The same official queried just how the batsman who is facing a ball that is called a front-foot no-ball can take advantage of what is effectively a ‘free hit' if the ball is already past him when the TV umpire presses the button for the call of no-ball. At least on the umpire's call, batsmen often have a chance to have a big hit if they hear the call early enough.

Some interesting thoughts have been aired and in listening to the commentators early on in the first one-day game, they were all for it.

"It’s important to get decisions right,” they said.

Well, if the umpire is not watching the bowler’s feet then the bowler has free reign to bowl outside the return crease.

Will they install cameras for that next time it is brought to the attention of the ICC?

I know the game is now played at speed but with experience, and these international umpires do have that, watching the feet is part and parcel of umpiring.

If the international umpires can’t get it right, then what chance have we got.