By BIPIN DANI
Mumbai: In 2002 the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced a policy of two neutral umpires standing in each Test match, and one neutral and one home umpire in ODIs. David Robert Shepherd MBE (27 December 1940 – 27 October 2009 was one of the cricket world's best-known umpires and was part of the ICC's first panel of neutral umpires when this policy was adopted for international cricket, and retained his place unbroken until his retirement from umpiring in 2005. He was in fact given special dispensation by the ICC to umpire in an England Test at Lords as his final Test, but he turned down the opportunity to maintain the ICC's neutral umpiring policy for Test matches.
Several of the game's best umpires, including Englishman Peter Willey, have refused to be on the elite panel of neutral umpires because of the constant travel.
Now when the ICC is considering to scrap the appointment of neutral umpires policy, Simon Taufel, the world's most respected umpire, could oversee the first Ashes Test of his career this year. The 38-year-old Taufel has been named as the game's best umpire for five of the past six years but he has been banned from the Ashes and the past two World Cup finals because of his nationality.
Taufel was a fast bowler in Sydney suburban cricket before hurting his back. Despite initially having no intention of becoming an umpire he agreed to go along with a friend to an umpiring course. After he passed the subsequent exam he began umpiring grade cricket. He quickly progressed through the ranks and made his first-class debut in 1995, aged just 24. He officiated in his first Test in the Boxing Day match between Australia and the West Indies in 2000, at just 28. But in 59 appearances in charge he managed only one more local Test, between Australia and South Africa at Adelaide in the following December, before the introduction of the neutral umpire system.
"The integrity of the umpires cannot be questioned so easily when they have the decision review system backing them up," ICC CEO Lorgat has said. "If we can use home umpires it . . . will reduce the amount of time umpires have to spend away from home.".
Sadly, international captains like India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pakistan's Mohd. Yousuf are "not comfortable" with UDRS (Umpires Decision Review System).
Mumbai: In 2002 the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced a policy of two neutral umpires standing in each Test match, and one neutral and one home umpire in ODIs. David Robert Shepherd MBE (27 December 1940 – 27 October 2009 was one of the cricket world's best-known umpires and was part of the ICC's first panel of neutral umpires when this policy was adopted for international cricket, and retained his place unbroken until his retirement from umpiring in 2005. He was in fact given special dispensation by the ICC to umpire in an England Test at Lords as his final Test, but he turned down the opportunity to maintain the ICC's neutral umpiring policy for Test matches.
Several of the game's best umpires, including Englishman Peter Willey, have refused to be on the elite panel of neutral umpires because of the constant travel.
Now when the ICC is considering to scrap the appointment of neutral umpires policy, Simon Taufel, the world's most respected umpire, could oversee the first Ashes Test of his career this year. The 38-year-old Taufel has been named as the game's best umpire for five of the past six years but he has been banned from the Ashes and the past two World Cup finals because of his nationality.
Taufel was a fast bowler in Sydney suburban cricket before hurting his back. Despite initially having no intention of becoming an umpire he agreed to go along with a friend to an umpiring course. After he passed the subsequent exam he began umpiring grade cricket. He quickly progressed through the ranks and made his first-class debut in 1995, aged just 24. He officiated in his first Test in the Boxing Day match between Australia and the West Indies in 2000, at just 28. But in 59 appearances in charge he managed only one more local Test, between Australia and South Africa at Adelaide in the following December, before the introduction of the neutral umpire system.
"The integrity of the umpires cannot be questioned so easily when they have the decision review system backing them up," ICC CEO Lorgat has said. "If we can use home umpires it . . . will reduce the amount of time umpires have to spend away from home.".
Sadly, international captains like India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pakistan's Mohd. Yousuf are "not comfortable" with UDRS (Umpires Decision Review System).
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