Sport | Cricket
Umpires take a walk to catch a bit of action
All umpires officiating in the Champions Trophy came up to the practice area of the Indian team at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday.
- By K.R.Nayar, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:34 May 3, 2009
- Image Credit: Reuters
- South Africa captain Graeme Smith (left) and teammate Justin Kemp warm up during a practice session in Mumbai yesterday. South Africa play New Zealand today.
Jaipur: All umpires officiating in the Champions Trophy came up to the practice area of the Indian team at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday.
It was a great sight to see umpire Steve Bucknor, Simon Taufel, Daryl Harper and Billy Bowden chatting with the players and cracking jokes. While all of them seem extremely stern at work, they painted a very different picture off the field.
Despite being in the thick of action, umpires rarely attract star value as much as a player does.
Most of them are a neglected lot, except a few like Dicky Bird and David Shepherd who were the most honoured.
Asked about their unusual visit to a practice area, Harper said: "We were bored sitting inside the hotel and needed to get a feel of the outside atmosphere. It is always a good idea to check out what's the mood outside."
Harper has a great sense of humour although it is Billy Bowden who portrays himself as a humorous character with his unique style of umpiring. Harper tactfully skipped the question on the controversial ball tampering incident by removing his hat.
Displaying his bald patch, he said: "Look here, there is no hair. I am Harper."
On the experiments with the hawk eye, he had a witty reply. "If I could stand at the bowler's end and predict with the accuracy of a hawk eye, I would be a rocket scientist rather than an umpire," he pointed out.
Multimedia
Sport Editor's choice
-
Abu Dhabi teen golfer in England U16
Selected for U16 team to play at the European Young Masters in Hungary
-
Talking to mum inspires century
Azam cracks unbeaten 151 to help Eurocon upset Nucaf Tellicherry
-
Magoum wins Arabian fest Poland leg
Syrus second in Wathba Stud Farm Cup race at race course in Warsaw
