Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

`Concentration can only give you a clean chit'

G. Prasad

Umpiring a challenging profession, says Thiagarajan, a qualified umpire Umpiring a challenging profession, says Thiagarajan, a qualified umpire

TIRUCHI: It seems umpires are the most affected lot with the advent of technology, as their performance has certainly come under the scanner.

The irony is that even the smallest of mistakes they commit are magnified, when some of their impeccable decisions have gone unnoticed.

"It has now turned out to be a profession full of challenges, with concentration being the secret to success," says level II qualified umpire and trainer from Cricket Australia (CA), M.K. Thiagarajan.

He was the resource person for the seminar on the topic `Improve your Umpiring Skills' organised by Tiruchi District Cricket Association (TDCA) in Tiruchi.

"Seminar for umpires are an usual practice in Australia just before the start of a new season. It is important for umpires to have thorough knowledge about the game before entering the ground," says the alumnus of National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi (formerly Regional Engineering College), who is also working as a quality auditor in Australia.

Dedication of

Simon Taufel

A close associate of Simon Taufel, considered to be the best umpire at the moment, Thiagarajan points out Simon's sheer dedication and commitment towards the game as the key elements for his success.

"Simon has made it a point to go through all the cricketing laws before officiating a cricket match. His concentration levels on-field is amazing and for attaining that, the amount of hard work he puts in is admirable," he adds.

Full use of technology

Thiagarajan says that umpires should make full use of the technology available and it is always better to refer the third umpire before giving close run-out decisions.

"Don't give a batsman out even if you are one percent unsure," he quipped.

He commended the efforts taken by Tiruchi District Cricket Association to conduct such a seminar, which he feels is a step in the right direction as there is a need to enlighten umpires at the district level on the changing trends in the game, as it would be of immense help when they graduate to higher levels.

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