Life as an umpire at the highest level
The Hindu’s special correspondent caught up with Suresh Shastri, a member of the ICC’s international panel of umpires.
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
AFP
The Hindu’s special correspondent caught up with Suresh Shastri, a member of the ICC’s international panel of umpires.
When he made his international debut as an umpire in the match against Zimbabwe at Pune in 1993, Shastri knew the task was going to be tough. “Those days we would get just one match in one year,” he remembered. From 1993 to 1998, he stood in a mere four matches. Since last November, when he returned to the international panel, Shastri has officiated in 15 one-dayers and two Tests.
Umpiring is a challenge and Shastri has learnt to live with the pressures. “You can’t imagine the decibel of the noise when you stand in the middle. It is very difficult to concentrate,” he confesses. But his ‘pranayam’ helps Shastri bear the pressure and his good work on the field has earned him respect from the players, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the list.
Ashok Ganguly is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo