BCCI gives umpires a testing time

After years of being under fire for its process of appointing and selecting umpires, the BCCI has finally woken up. After a similar effort a...

After years of being under fire for its process of appointing and selecting umpires, the BCCI has finally woken up. After a similar effort at the highest level by the ICC, the BCCI plans to ‘‘change the system’’ — a process that began here today with a three-day exam-assessment course for the 122 all-India umpires.

As the umpires were put through their paces in a course that runs from viva voce to practicals (standing at the wicket), BCCI joint secretary Ratnakar Shetty explained the process. The aim, he told The Sunday Express, was to ‘‘streamline’’ the system, adding that these exams would be held every two years.

‘‘Cricket is changing all the time. Most of our umpires have passed out in 1986, 1992 or 1996, but the laws of the game have changed. It is important to bring them up to date.’’

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This assessment procedure was suggested at the Ranji captains’ conclave held in Mumbai in May 2003; later, the umpires complained about the behaviour of players. ‘‘There is no need for anyone to feel left out’’, said Shetty. ‘‘What we are trying to do is to make sure that we have a system whereby the best officiate the best.’’

This means the BCCI will try and prune its list of Elite umpires — who stand at Ranji, Duleep, Deodhar and similar matches — from 40 to 15-20.

Apart from taking the help of the ICC’s umpiring syllabus, the BCCI will also consider the proposal of former Test umpire (and current examiner) Raghubir Sinh Rathore. His model, which was used at his ‘mobile’ academy in the 1990s, was of three parts:

	JUDGING THE JUDGES

			What’s in the examination • Practicals: Umpire for 2 overs at both the bowler’s end and at square leg, with examiners at both ends • Fielders are given a set of instructions to create problems for the umpires who are then evaluated on how they tackle it • The on-field problems could range from chucking to use foul language • Viva Voce exam involves 10 oral questions with different situations related to any stage of a match

• ‘O’ Level: 1-week orientation programme for specific groups, e.g. media, fans, officials, players and organisers

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• ‘A’ Level: 2-week professional course for fresh and aspiring umpires

• ‘B’ Level: 1-week refresher programme for practising umpires at the state and national levels

The proposal has been lying with the board since 1995, Rathore said, and he’d been writing to the BCCI every year without reply. ‘‘Initially Dalmiya (then secretary) and then president Bindra showed a lot of interest. But after Dalmiya went over to the ICC there was no movement forward.’’

Meanwhile, his academy became ‘‘non-operational’’. At one time, though, it had three programmes a year in Autumn (October), Winter (December) and Summer (April-July). Among others former India captain Polly Umrigar and former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur were members of the advisory board.

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Rathore though remains ‘‘hopeful’’ of his dream eventually bearing fruit. ‘‘Dalmiya has shown interest in my proposal and wants to see it first-hand. In fact even Ranbir Singh (BCCI vice-president and umpires committee chairman) too has been communicating with me.’’

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