What makes a good cricket umpire




















Do you feel that is relevant now in the modern game? Cricket experience helps, but I do not think it is the be-all and end-all. Sometimes people say you are too old or too young to be an umpire, but I do not think age is a factor either.

It is about having the right people skills, having the right approach to handling the game of cricket. Sometimes your cricketing experience helps you with some of the decisions you have to make.

That can be overcome by umpiring at lower levels of the game for as long as you can before you hit representative level. Having the feel for cricket certainly is an advantage, but I do not think you need to be a first-class cricketer to be a first-class umpire. It is about your ability to do the job, as opposed to what you have done in the past.

Is umpiring more taxing mentally than physically? Certainly more a mental game. Standing for five days, travelling many different time zones and thousands of kilometres puts some stresses and strains on the body, so there is also a physical component to the pressure.

We are there all the time without a break, unlike a team or a player. It is certainly incredibly challenging and not something everybody can cope with.

It also tests you emotionally. Can you talk about your regimen - what you do to prepare for these demands on mind and body? For me preparation is before the game begins. If you are talking about a series that is coming up, I would go back to my notes from the last time I was there at the place.

One thing we are very big on now is, we do our tour-file report where we record information on grounds, airports, cities and hotels. I can then prepare accordingly in terms of what I need. I am also big on checklists: things to pack, things to check before I leave. Talking about cricket specifics, I am very strong on who I am working with, getting video footage of teams and players from a recent series - what some of their tactics might be, what the conditions were like, what kind of appeals and things to expect, if there are any trends in my own game I need to address.

I try and go through my self-assessment in that format of the game or with those teams and look at areas I could have done better in and develop those into new match- or new series goals.

Then I do ground inspections: work with the local authorities to study the conditions, what sort of curators they have, how many rollers, making sure they are preparing the ground as properly as possible, where does the bad weather come from, what do we do if it rains, how long does it take to clean up, do the Super Soppers work, how long do the covers take to get on and get off. I am very strong on what-ifs and plan Bs.

Batsmen and bowlers switch on and off between deliveries. How did you do it? I was really lucky early on in my career at NSW when one day Ian Healy, the former Australian wicketkeeper, came and talked to us at an umpiring conference. I suppose we related what he was doing as a wicketkeeper to what we do as umpires. The keeper has to focus on every ball out there, as we do. Ian said something that day that stuck with me: you do not switch off and switch on, you switch up and switch down.

That is pretty much what an umpire has to do all the time; you have to learn to switch up at the right time and switch down.

Obviously we have to focus on the ball, but it is only probably two or three seconds that we actually have to be at a high level of focus, just like the wicketkeeper. It is about focusing on the right things at the right time. If you can do that consistently ball after ball, you are going to do a very good job. Our challenge is to umpire one ball very well, ball after ball, until we run out of deliveries. Over the years, has the respect from the players increased or lessened?

Players have always appreciated that umpiring is a difficult job. Whenever we ask a player whether they would like to give umpiring a go, the vast majority of them would say, "Why in the world would I do that? You've got to be joking.

I could not stand in the sun for six to seven hours and do what you guys do. What has happened is, with the way we use technology in cricket today, a lot of people now appreciate how difficult the decisions are to make and how good the umpiring is at the highest level.

Having said that, it is incumbent upon me and every match official to always look for ways to get better. How important was it for you to have a grasp of all the Laws of cricket? One of the real challenges is, we have 42 Laws, and lots of ICC playing conditions. At the international level you might have six to seven playing conditions [that are relevant at any given time], so it is a real challenge for a match official to have the right sort of playing condition at the forefront of his mind.

So most off days were about constantly revising probably six Laws a day, going through playing conditions regularly, making sure that there was the understanding of the knowledge but also how to interpret the Laws in a consistent way. From the umpiring perspective you will get the odd decision wrong from time to time, but what a lot of people will not forgive is if you get a Law or playing condition wrong. Our knowledge has to be second to none, because the players expect us to know the Laws and playing conditions thoroughly.

Just because you have passed a driving test 20 years ago, it does not always mean you are driving in the best way possible 20 years later. Even if I'm an Elite Panel umpire, there are a lot of other umpires who are willing to test your knowledge, test your ability about how much you do know. So it is really important for us to make sure that we stay on top of our game day in day out, and that we are not complacent with our knowledge and our skill base.

Did you feel comfortable having all that power over 22 players on a cricket field? I do not like the word "power". It is a responsible position and I do not take the responsibility lightly. My job is to be able to live up to the expectations of the customers: the players, the media, the broadcasters and the other stakeholders in the game. It is really important to do what you can and deliver the best possible performance on the day. And that is why preparation is so important, continual improvement is so important, showing empathy and your people skills is so important.

To be able to live up to those expectations is a constant challenge. Part of development is learning from your mistakes. How much did it hurt when you got decisions wrong? In the case of Indian umpiring, the individual should pass a basic written exam.

Following that, he will be assigned some games to show the skills. After a lot of video play and simulation, scenarios umpire go on the field. The career pathway for any umpire is different from other countries. Every country has its way and style to rope in an umpire. After clearing the Level 1 of the exam, there is a level 2 that needs to be breached. Level two of the exam is pretty tough as it includes viva-voice, practicals, video and lives match scenarios, health checkups, etc.

Someone who passes through all of this gets an opportunity to be part of the BCCI umpiring panel board. The process of being an umpire is relatively longer. First of all, you need to be part of the local level cricket umpiring. When the person is the umpire of the national umpiring panel, there is a high chance they get promoted. This nomination will help the particular umpire part of the illustrious ICC Elite Panel umpires, the highest recognition for any umpire.

There are various responsibilities of an umpire. One of the biggest responsibilities of the umpires is to protect the sovereignty of the game. Umpires should never be biased and should be impartial all the time. Furthermore, umpires have the sole right to rate the pitch after the game is done. The feedback provided by the umpire is pretty essential, and it decides the future of the pitch of the stadium.

Umpiring is a tough job in cricket. A minute in the field of umpiring is generally of more excellent value as well. With so much pressure around, the umpire job is tough, but it also has great perks. One of the biggest advantage of being an umpire is the pay received from the job. Any umpire who is in the position tends to get better paid.

The payment is quite different from the grade level umpires to that of international umpires. For the people who are a fan of traveling they get an opportunity to see the world. The respect that is provided to the umpires is way too high. Players who play the sport should respect the umpires and address them as sir. Umpires have the right to dismiss any player. As a result, respect is highly earned.

If something has a good side, then the lousy aspect also comes along the way. Similar is the case in the field of the umpire. You might get good money and respect, but there are dark sides to it as well.

A lot of the time, umpires tend to be at the receiving end of the match results. One ill decision can change the course of the game. Hence there are chances of a massive amount of criticism during the field of play. One biggest con that is seen recently in the umpiring field is about the replacement. With the development of high-tech technology, there is a big chance of umpires being replaced. Another con of umpiring is that you can be a favorite or the most hated one at one split second.

A decision made against a player supported by the crowd in the stadium can rope in a lot of heat towards you. The last con that comes through from being an umpire is remaining in a calm state of mind all the time. Even umpires are human, and it can always be tough for anyone to stay settled at the crunch moments.

Most of the time, the umpires tend to lose cool, which might affect their decision-making. One of the essential facets to look for when you take the umpiring as the cricket career option is the amount of money you tend to get paid. Historical Monuments. Indian Cultural And Festivals. Moral stories for kids.

Motivational Books. New Technologies. Painting classes. Poems and rhymes. Projects for kids. Social studies. Tragedies And Disasters. Yoga and Exercise. An Umpire is a person who is present at a sports competition in order to make certain that the rules of that particular game are obeyed and to judge that particular actions are acceptable. Skills and Knowledge that you must have to become an Umpire:. Umpires must meet some basic requirements:.

The Cricket Umpire needs to possess at least 3 key Qualifications:. Different roles of Umpires. Before the coin toss, the umpires will establish the hours of play. In agreement with the two team captains, they will decide which balls will be used during the match and determine the times and durations of intervals during the match. The umpires are required to inspect the wicket, the crease markings, and the boundary lines, and ensure that all three are in compliance with the rules.

They must also check that players' equipment -- batting helmets and wicket keeping gloves, for example-meets the standard requirements. The umpire at the bowler's end is responsible for making LBW leg before wicket decisions and judging whether the batsman hit the ball or not when the opposing team appeals for a catch. It is also his duty to signal no balls, wides, byes, leg byes, boundaries and sixes. The square leg umpire is responsible for adjudicating on stumpings and run-outs.

He may also indicate to the umpire at the bowler's end if the ball crosses the batsman above the shoulder or head height. If the ball crosses above head height, the umpire at the bowler's end should signal a wide.

It is the umpire's duty to intervene in the case of time wasting, ball tampering, dangerous bowling or damage to the pitch. Umpires must also deem when the play is unsafe to continue such as in the case of bad weather or poor light.

Umpires rotate positions after each over. The third umpire has the final say on decisions referred to the TV replay by the on-field umpires. These rulings include run-outs, stumping, balls stopped on the boundary by a fielder and catch that the on-field umpires are unsure about. In , the International Cricket Council introduced a referral system which allows teams to challenge decisions made by the on-field umpire.

It is the third umpire's responsibility to watch the TV replay and advice the umpire on how to proceed with these decisions. The match referee is responsible for handling disciplinary matters. He has the power to fine a player for arguing with the umpires or expressing dissent. Procedure for being an Umpire.

A candidate must have to qualify for the theory and Practical exams conducted by the State sports body time to time. A candidate will become eligible for an exam conducted by BCCI after clearing the level one and level two.

Each of the state associations has their own umpire development programs. So, the first step is to get qualified with your state association. Based on your growth structure in the respective state associations next step will be taken by BCCI.

So the very first thing you need to do is, visit your state cricket association and inquire about umpire certification exams. Initially, you have to clear the state level certification program.



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