Sports
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| Cricket,
umpires and hawk-eyed machines In recent times umpires round the sphere have come under heavy fire. Their decisions however unbiased they try to make out have been steam rolled by the so-called ex-cricketers behind their TV screens with the aid of all the electronic gadgetry in creation followed by the arm chair pundits who make themselves very cozy and comfortable on their sitting chairs. Down the ages umpires were a set of respected persons whose word was taken without argument and they also did bring their own inimitable styles on to the game. For instance England's Dickey Bird with his Nelsonian gimmicks, New Zealand's Billy Bowden with his clown like postures, and Asoka de Silva with his pompous arrogance have brought inimitable styles with added value to the game. Ironically will all that wean in time to come. Umpires do make mistakes, as they are human. At times one wonders if Bradman played the game at this juncture if he could end his career with average of 99 plus or else had Tendulkar played in that era if he also could have made a difference in his career statistics. Ironically modern technology and the commercialization of the game have brought in a difference some times arguably so. West Indian Journalist Owen Thompson writing to the Trinidad and Tobago Times on the recently concluded West Indies-England series quipped "It is not sufficient to whine and say 'poor we, look wot dem bad umpires do we' and other such laments. Umpiring deficiencies have to be recognized for what they are, and criticized loud and clear, in the right way, and in the proper forum. In that respect, no greater statement was made than by The Prince himself in choosing to sit on the balcony at the Lord's for the entire afternoon after his first innings shocker. Lara made a very good point, and very powerfully so, for the entire cricket world to see. He said "I find it impossible not to walk when I know I'm out" following his prolonged stay on the balcony for the entire world to see, was a way of saying to the ICC that something has to be done, because such poor decisions can and do influence the outcome of games and series. Many moons did not pass after that when former Pakistani wicket keeper Wasim Bari lambasted the 63 year-old aging David Shepherd. Bari was quoted saying 'Shepherd's umpiring decisions were like target killing and cost Pakistan the final. It's time for the inaccurate Shepherd to retire. His decisions were not only doubtful but also, disgraceful. The Pakistan team management must mention with protest in their match reports". The third instance came by when all Test captains barring Australia's Ricky Pointing and Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu gave the greenlight to the ICC to get more technology involved in the game's decision making. At this year's ICC trophy tournament which is about to get underway England in a few days even the no balls will be signalled by the third umpire instead of the head umpire who stands in the middle. The ICC had previously confirmed that umpires standing in seven of the 15 ICC Champions Trophy matches would wear an earpiece that picks up the audio from the stump microphone as the ball passes the batsman. The trial will indicate whether the microphone's position close to the action area will provide audible assistance to officials in cases, which are sometimes difficult to pick up, such as thin nicks to the keeper or bat pad fielders. What is all this leading to? It is leading to the mechanization of the game or else weaning of the human influence in the game. It seems that the ICC is trying to make the game less controversial as possible. But, are they achieving it? Recently in a sudden purge the ICC made a string of changes in the Elite Panel of umpires and who went out? The entire lot of Asian umpires barring one. By doing those changes did the game turn to the better? No, still the accusations of bad umpiring continue. What could be done to bring in more quality to this noble profession? |
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