Well-known cricket umpire Steve Bucknor’s recent ouster by the ICC has raised many eyebrows. No, it’s not about the mannerisms of the gentleman’s game alone. But also the age of the umpire. And the one to blame is none but the ICC.
For the uninitiated, Bucknor was originally a refree at the FIFA World Cup. And that was way back in 1988. Wonder why isn’t he still there? Well, FIFA has a compulsory retirement age of 45 for its umpires. The reason is simple. The FIFA authorities realize that the job of an umpire requires certain physical qualities that recede away with growing years.
Perhaps, the ICC should have done the same and saved Bucknor the embarrassment. Considering the amount of work an umpire is supposed to do, it is absurd to have a man in his sixties do the task. He has to stand on field for six hours with an alert mind. His eyesight has to be perfect to watch the proceedings of the game with utmost precision, and his brain has to process all inputs to arrive at the correct decision in seconds. What has happened to Bucknor is the same that happened to David Shepherd. ICC would be stupid if it lets another incident like this one to come up.
Via IndiaUncut
Tags: Competitions, Controversy, Critic, Sports