Move towards Pro Umpires (2 October 1998)

2 October 1998

Move towards Pro Umpires

Trevor Chesterfield

CENTURION - It was Cyril Mitchley who only eight months ago made the outrageous suggestion that the inquisitive TV camera would, before the turn of the millennium, be used as an aid for catches and lbw decisions.

Now South Africa and New Zealand are to use the medium to help eliminate umpiring error, although the Kiwis, will not use the third umpire to rule on the lbw decisions.

And while there are those who would suggest that umpires will now become mere robots by merely counting the balls, there are 42 laws of the game on which they can react.

As it is, Brian Basson, who yesterday said a panel of professional umpires, similar to that in England, was under consideration in South Africa to handle all first class games, added that straight forward decisions would be the prerogative of the umpire.

Only the domestic matches which were being televised on SuperSport would be used in what the director of umpiring in South Africa called extended use of television replays.

The experiment was not considered for the Tests this summer against the West Indies as the ICC had not sanctioned such an extension of in the replay. But the televised domestic matches involving the Windies would be part of the experiment, Basson added.

Although he did not say it outright, judging lbw and difficult catches in Test matches could be in force by the time England tour South Africa in the 1999/2000 season.

Basson has confirmed he is preparing a far-reaching blueprint designed to improve umpiring levels to place before the board's executive for their next meeting. The plan to introduce full-time professional umpires is part of on-going innovations some of which are being introduced this season in those domestic matches screened on M-Net

Basson was at pains at the Wanderers yesterday to explain how the umpire was being given an extra option if he was uncertain of a catch. This would eliminate incidents such as that generated by the Mike Atherton catch off Allan Donald's bowling in the fifth Test of the series at Leeds.

Atherton's innings has been credited with the reason why England went on to beat South Africa in the series.

"If you have a close look at Steve Dunne's face when he made that decision you could see there was uncertainty. The use of TV replays would eliminate such incidents," Basson said.

It would also have the batsmen, who knew they touched the ball, "walking" instead of hanging around waiting for a TV replay to highlight the obvious.

As for the lbw decision umpires would only be encouraged to ask for a TV replay if they were uncertain if the ball nicked or brushed the bat, especially when a batsman played in front of his pads.

"We have to ask ourselves just how far we can go with the technology available. There is the view of giving the batsman the benefit of the doubt, but in the case of difficult catches this is often unfair to the fielding side," Basson added.

While the "extended use of television replay'" does in some way cut across the wording of Law 3 not 7 in which the umpire's decision shall be final, the referral to the third umpire does not in any way negate the wording of the law.

"The umpire out in the middle is asking for a second opinion and he is calling on his colleague to confirm that opinion," he added.

Communication will be made by the use of the two-way radio Dr Ali Bacher, managing director of the UCB, said that in 1998 the "umpire is on a hiding to nothing, en devouring to pit the human eye against modern technology."

He felt the use of TV umpire would improve the skills and levels of umpiring as it was important the "umpire remain an integral part of the modern game".

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News