The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Umpires told to root out chucking

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Umpires told to root out chucking

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, JUNE 5. India's umpires have been told to root out the menace of `chucking' at the junior level and bring about a qualitative improvement in the supervision of the game in the tournaments run by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

After a two hour meeting with five senior umpires, the Board President Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya said that the umpires — A.V. Jayaprakash, K. Hariharan, Bomi Jamula, S. Pathak and Sudhir Asnani — and the Board officials had a `free and frank' discussion, the result of which would lead to improvement in umpiring standards.

"We have conveyed to the five umpires the concern expressed by the captains and coaches. There is a general feeling that the quality of umpiring has stagnated and hence the need to improve, restore confidence in the players for tangible results. The players and umpires are the pillars of cricket.''

Following the first meeting between the Board and umpires' representatives, the Board has decided to establish an Academy for umpires headed by a Manager or Director, conduct regular workshops for smaller groups at zonal level and give them more powers. "The time has come for the umpires to rise to the occasion. They should practice at `nets' like first class and international teams and share responsibility in junior level tournaments. The Board will be selective in appointing observers, but just as we would back the umpires, we would back the observers, too,'' said Mr. Dalmiya.

Mr. Dalmiya used the opportunity to tell the umpires that they should be `bold' in calling bowlers for `chucking'. There's no place for `chuckers' in cricket. The umpires have to call. When a bowler is called for throwing, it does not mean disqualification from the game for life. It's only a shortcoming. Bowlers who `chuck' should not be seen as culprits. The umpires' decision to call a bowler for `chucking' should not be considered a punishment. It means pointing out a fault requiring a corrective action.''

The ICC Supplementary Panel umpire Jayaprakash said: "There are security and safety fears when an umpire is officiating a match in districts. There has to be basic insurance. Chucking as such is not a big problem with Indian cricket. The Board wants chucking to be nipped in the bud — at the junior level. For a start, we had an excellent interaction. The purpose has been served.''

Jayaprakash said there are bound to be mistakes when 526 matches are played in a season, interpretation of the playing conditions is not uniform and not all the umpires are abreast with the change in laws of the game which was last revised in 2003. Confident of a qualitative change in the next two years, Jayaprakash said umpiring, which was a hobby, has now become a thankless and challenging job.

The proposed academy for the umpires will be established after two months. "India should take the lead in the sub-continent. The academy will have all the facilities including a research wing and technology used for matches. The umpires are part and parcel of the game. They should get proper remuneration, but it should not precede accountability and quality. It has to be a two-way street. We had a brainstorming session today. It will be an ongoing process, " said Mr. Dalmiya assuring that Indian umpires will figure in the ICC's Elite Panel.

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