Third umpire’s role should be restricted — Bird

Harold Bird had some definite views on how the game is being conducted and what is wrong with it. For starters, too much of electronic interference.

“The thing that worries me about the third umpire is that it takes away from regular umpiring. Umpires have been part of the game’s history, from when in began. They’ve seen it all from close in.

“Right now, the third umpire can be used for various decisions. The close run out, close stumping, the low catch, the boundary four and the boundary six,” said Bird.

“But, if you bring too much of the electronic stuff into the game, then the umpires could lose confidence. It would not be fair to them.” He added, “I would use the third umpire only for close run outs and close stumping decisions, and leave the rest to the umpires’ decision. The most difficult decision to judge is the close run out, so the third umpire is good for that.”

“Yet, the third umpire is necessary now,” he continued, “as all umpires make mistakes. It’s the person who makes the least mistakes who is respected most in the field.” But he disagreed that an umpire was pressurised by a big match situation.

“As an umpire, you’ve got to be able to live with it. You bring your own pressure whatever field you’re in. It’s part of the job, you have to get on with it,” he said.

When asked which matches were most vivid in memory, Bird replied, “The 1975 World Cup where the West Indies beat Australia. The 1983 World Cup game at Lord’s where India beat the West Indies. You never saw anything like that, totally the unexpected.”

In the same breath, Bird admitted he missed Test matches in the One-day dominated atmosphere of the age. “I’ve seen five generations of young men starting their careers and the game has changed drastically. Crowds love the One-day version when the game can be watched and finished in a day. The Test match arena is different.”

He elaborated: “The Test match arena is never an enclosure for the faint-hearted. You have to play hard within the laws of the game. It’s tough. The characters have gone out of the game, there’s too much money. To play a Test, you need tremendous temperament, mental strength and self-belief. Cricketers today have the ability, but lack the mental aspect and self-belief.”

Bird refused to comment on present day allegations of sledging, saying he could not talk about it as he was not umpiring now-a-days. He did say, however, that he never had any such problems with players in his salad days as an umpire.

“I never saw any sledging as an umpire in matches I conducted. I had respect for the players as professionals and they treated me the same way.”