Feb 06, 2005 08:09 PM
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(Updated Feb 06, 2005 08:09 PM)
Umpires. The men in the middle. The men who do the job, the grease in the machine of cricket. They aren't noticed, aren't really celebrated and shouldn't really do anything controvertial.
Before I continue... I would like to say that my favourite 2 ICC umpires anre Aleem Dar and Simon Taufel.
Umpires - not controvertial. WELL! Answer me this Mr. Steve Bucknor.
Why are you so bad?
Every time I see this guy doing Test matches, he gets at least 3 decisions wrong per innings. LBWs he says are not out are proven by Hawkeye (and I mean proven plum middle of middle stump not clipping top of off-stump.)
And when anyone dare say anything slightly negative about him in the press it is straight on to the phone to his friend Clive Lloyd.
Let's take an incident in the SA vs. ENG test match (2nd Test, I think). SA are batting and are offered the light. They take it. However, the stadium light meter shows only 2 lights - signalling it good enough light for the match to be played in. Michael Vaughan, England captain, slightly sarcastically tells Sky's Nasser Hussain that they could have played on easily. Clive Lloyd hears about this, bang, 100% match fee gone.
Vaughan can be considered slightly unlucky and Lloyd, I suppose, was just doing his job. However, he then does asw equally a stupid thing as the England captain, telling the South African press that he would not tolerate Vaughan running off at the mouth. So what was he fined for? Going to the press and criticizing. And what did Lloyd do? The same.
Sorry for ranting.