'It’s time we considered having specialist 3rd umpires' - Tom Moody suggests to minimise TV umpiring errors in IPL 2024

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 18 was marked by a controversial third umpire decision. The decision has regenerated the debate around the need for specialist officials in this role to enhance decision-making accuracy.

The incident occurred when MI batter Suryakumar Yadav was batting and a delivery from PBKS bowler Arshdeep Singh was not called a wide by the on-field umpire. However, from the dugout, the MI contingent, including Tim David, Kieron Pollard, and Mark Boucher were spotted on the TV broadcast, signalling to their batters on the field to go for a review after seeing the ball passing over the wide guide line.

Despite PBKS captain Sam Curran alerting the umpires about the attempted review from outside the playing area, the decision was sent upstairs to third umpire Nitin Menon. Surprisingly, Menon overturned the original call after reviewing replays, deeming it as a wide delivery.

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MI defeated PBKS by nine runs

The controversial reversal was just the latest in a series of alleged questionable decisions from third umpires this IPL season that have drawn criticism. Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody took to social media to call for dedicated specialist third umpires.

"It’s time we considered having specialist 3rd umpires, too many questionable decisions are being made. Some umpires are better suited on the field, the 3rd umpire requires experience and a certain skill set," he said.

Moody's comments highlighted the crucial role of the third umpire who has access to television replays and technology like ball-tracking. With games often hinging on tight calls, having officials specifically trained to analyze footage from multiple angles is seen as essential to improving decision-making accuracy.

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Talking about the match, MI was asked to bat first, and with the help of Suryakumar Yadav's powerful innings of 78 off 53 and Rohit Sharma's 36 off 25, the visitors put up a total of 192/7. PBKS had the worst start to their chase and were reeling at 77/6.

A late flourish from Ashutosh Sharma (61 off 28) and Shashank Singh (41 off 25) did show some hope, but the Punjab-based franchise fell nine runs short of the target. Notably, Jasprit Bumrah and Gerald Coetzee shared six wickets between them.