International cricket's seminal seminar

For long, former greats have hit out at the game's administrators for doing precious little in the interests of the game and the cricketers. They have accused the officials of sitting in an ivory tower, being out of touch with reality and changing trends, taking a paid vacation and indulging in power politics. But of late, even the most vociferous critic would have found the need to change this aggressive tune to a softer note, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken steps to improve the game's image of the game, which has taken quite a beating in recent times.

From all reports, the ICC played the role of listeners, while the umpires and referees played the role of talkers. And then, as Speed put it, changes were made on the basis of what the umpires and referees spoke about. "We asked for their views, and they gave frank opinions which we've taken on board," he said.

Moreover, cricket's governing body has done so by involving former players in the evolution process. The ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed who, along with ICC president Malcolm Gray, has done much to speed up the healing process, put it best when he said that the four-day seminar just concluded in South Africa created a "better sense of trust" between referees, umpires and the game's ruling body. Even Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has been at loggerheads with the governing body of late, has remarked that the "ICC is functioning as a happy cricket family now" - further proof, if any were needed, that the ICC was winning friends and influencing people through its fresh and transparent approach.

Speed, speaking on the last day of the ICC umpires and referees conference near Cape Town, said it was of vital importance that umpires and referees act as major ambassadors for the game in the future. "This has been a very important initiative for the ICC, and for cricket generally, because the umpires in particular are our best ambassadors," Speed is quoted to have said. "What we have here are people who've been doing these jobs part-time and now coming in to do them full-time. They've been very willing workers over quite an arduous programme that we've put together. I hope these guys go away from here with the sense that they are major ambassadors for the game. If we've achieved that, then it's been worthwhile."

In an effort to improve the game's standards, the ICC recently appointed an elite panel of five international match referees and eight umpires to stand as neutral officials in all Test matches. All these officials attended the deliberations at Cape Town.

Whether all available technology should be extended to aid umpires in making decisions is a debate that has generated considerable heat for some time now. There have been two schools of thought on this. One feels that the present system should be continued and that the umpires should take some decisions on their own. The other school is firmly of the view that, with the technology now available, umpires ­ and the game in general ­ would benefit if the views of the TV officials are obtained in case of any doubt. At Cape Town, the eight umpires on the panel agreed to experiment with extended TV technology to aid umpiring decisions. This will first be tried out during the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka this September.

Among other issues addressed by the seminar were: tolerance of player behaviour, understanding of playing conditions, and legal implications to be considered when disciplinary charges are leveled against a player. These contentious issues have negatively affected the image of the game for some time now, and the fact that the officials, with the concurrence of the ICC, met the problem head-on is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.

From all reports, the ICC played the role of listeners, while the umpires and referees played the role of talkers. And then, as Speed put it, changes were made on the basis of what the umpires and referees spoke about. "We asked for their views, and they gave frank opinions which we've taken on board," he said. Little wonder then that there has been a more marked sense of trust between the officials and the ICC than in the past. What is more, according to Speed, similar seminars are now likely to be an annual feature. This alone would prove that the ICC is striving for greater professionalism at all levels. Indeed, the ICC chief executive hailed this as "a start of a new era," while admitting that the ICC needed to work hard to be recognised as a respected governing body for a major sport.

Highlighting the importance of their jobs, Speed, a qualified lawyer himself, said that umpires and referees who officiate at international matches would have 24-hour access to legal help if players objected to decisions. The ICC would no doubt be especially concerned if the officials were to encounter problems enforcing the disciplinary code put into force recently. Referees can, for example, impose financial penalties on players who show dissent. The new disciplinary code has four categories, ranging from offences such as dissent to possible life bans for violent behavior or threats of violence. Given the nature of player power these days, it is heartening to note that the ICC has this aspect, which could prove to be vital, covered.

There is no need to underline the importance of the deliberations and decisions taken at the seminar given the turbulent times that the game has seen, particularly in recent times. What the ICC is obviously looking for is a far-reaching approach, and hopefully this will be the start of a more consistent process of giving umpires and referees the kind of professional training they have never had before in tackling the growing problems plaguing cricket.