Mark Benson’s inability to complete the Adelaide Test match – “for a combination of health and pressure problems,” according to David Richardson, the ICC’s general manager – is a reminder of the intense demands placed on the world’s elite umpires.

Benson flew home to England with unusual haste for a man who was said to be unwell. Such a long flight was surely not the best thing for someone with a history of heart problems and apparently suffering from stress after a bad day at the office. Surely better that he lay up in bed in his hotel room or even in hospital.

But then home is place that must hold special appeal for ICC umpires because they are very rarely there. Barred from standing in “home” Test matches for fear that they might be accused of favouring their own nation, they spend an inordinate amount of time in foreign climes.

No wonder they have been haggling with the ICC about their new contracts. No wonder they have just extracted what Richardson concedes are significantly improved terms. Even the cricketers get to play in their own country for decent chunks of time.

But however much umpires are paid, surely it is time for them to be allowed to come home. It is eight years since the elite panel was set up and the decision taken that every Test should be policed by neutral umpires.

It was always the ICC’s intention that this would be only an interim stage during which umpires could establish themselves as truly independent — umpires first and citizens of a particular country second. Once that was felt to have been achieved, a gradual return to umpires Read more…

Administrator Views Aleem Dar, Billy Bowden, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, David Richardson, ICC, Mark Benson, New Zealand, Pakistan, Perth, Referral system, Sydney, Umpire, Umpires

PEOPLE who like sport have become used to having their normally sweaty domain invaded by folk whose strength is not sure hands or hardness at the ball, but looking good in expensive clothes. Never is this trend more apparent than in October, when those who wouldn’t know a Waterhouse from a farmhouse wile away the spring carnival perving on Chris Judd’s girlfriend and Brad Miller’s wife.

Cricket, bless it, has largely stayed a fashion-free zone, as anyone aware of the evolution of one-day uniforms since the West Indies first donned pink pyjamas would attest. This blissfully daggy state of affairs took a disturbing turn yesterday morning and someone must be held accountable.

On Richie Benaud, a white jacket (or any off-white, cream or beige derivative) is perfectly acceptable. Mandatory, even. Likewise umpire Billy Bowden. Or Lionel Richie.

On a team of cricketers already clad in louche gold shirts and caps with a sprinkling of little green stars, it is simply unacceptable, even if it matches their shoes. What next? Nathan Hauritz halts the presentation of the Champions Trophy to have shoulder pads fitted?

Fashionistas may demur, pointing to last Saturday’s Age and Janice Breen Burns’ report on the jacket’s revival. Apparently everyone from Beyonce to Kate Moss has been spotted out and about in peak-shouldered numbers that ‘’shrink the waist and enhance an hour-glass figure”, and good luck to them.

Waist-shrinking might have helped David Boon, but for most of the manscapers representing Australia these days it’s as useless as wearing a cardboard box. As for the real Read more…

Administrator Australia, Champions Trophy Billy Bowden, Blogs.CMDN.com, Champions Trophy, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Lionel Richie, Nathan Hauritz, white jacket

Thanks to some great cricket from Australia and not so great stuff from England, I managed to grab a couple of extra days off last week. It gave me time to think about where we are going with the game as a whole. I think cricket is in pretty good health overall, but this is my six-point plan to make sure we keep moving in the right direction:

1. Fast-track umpires and raise their wages The standard of umpiring is as low as I’ve known it in 20 years. Yes, it is a difficult job and technology exposes any mistakes, but some of the performances in the Ashes series so far have been pretty ordinary. Players will accept that the odd bad decision gets through now and again. At the moment, there are just too many.

Of the present panel, Asad Rauf is pretty good and Simon Taufel isn’t bad. Rudi Koertzen has been a good umpire, but unfortunately his time has passed. Billy Bowden is inconsistent, which we saw at Headingley. I think Billy can be very good, but sometimes he gets a bit carried away.

Their attitude is crucial. Talking to players and having a friendly nature is imperative, not the “I’m the boss” schoolteacher approach of Daryl Harper — who is unpopular with players — and the attitude that they never make an error. Billy is another who cannot admit a Read more…

Administrator Ashes, Australia, England Asad Rauf, Ashes, Australia, Billy Bowden, Daryl Harper, England, Headingley, Neil Mallender, Paul Reiffel, Peter Willey, Richard Kettleborough, Rod Tucker, Rudi Koertzen, Simon Taufel, Twenty20