Up and coming Umpires...

It appears that the Umpires these days are taking equal precedent to that of the actual players, in terms of discussion and debate. I know 'up and coming' sounds quite cheap, because most umps go through years of training before making a name for themselves (I imagine). Question is, who here is in the know about a "Rudi replacement" when he eventually steps down (after edgbaston). I assume that there must be a certain amount of Umpires on the 'Elite' Panel at every one time. Therefore, who is making waves in the domestic circuits, that could step into his fading boots?



Furthermore, how are Umpires selected to be in the Panel in the first place? What is the grading system? I reckon it must involve number of correct decisions (especially tight calls) and their temperament when under pressure in calls which are hugely 50/50.

God bless ya, Smerky!

I suppose Umpires get chosen when they lose all senses.


You don't often see a young gun in their mid 20's standing in a Test.

The basic premice of this discussion is how you get onto the elite panel?


You'd ASSUME it was down to number of tight calls, but looking at Bucknor, Rudi and Ashocka, its hard to think how its actually done.

DJ_Smerk wrote:

You don't often see a young gun in their mid 20's standing in a Test.

Most umpires don't start doing to seriously until they have finished playing

How many of the current elite "played" test cricket?

There's a whole section of the ICC site dedicated to match officials here.

On average, each member of the Emirates Elite Panel annually stands in 8-10 Test matches and 10-15 ODIs, plus any ICC World events in that year - a potential on-field workload of 75 days plus travel and preparation time, per year.

I believe the base rate is $100 000 US p.a... Sign me up...

And I believe two of the current 'elite' panel played Test cricket.

Benson and Asoka De Silva.


Ian Gould (WTF?) played some ODI's aswell.

Obviously, there is much less care for how Umpires get to where they are. I suppose it's not exactly a kiss kiss bang bang journey either?

Umpire = Traffic Warden
Cricketer = Policeman



Similar vibe really.

MB might know more about it.

I do know that CA are trying to fast track some ex players through the umpire system. Paul Reiffel and Blocker Wilson are two ex-test players who have umpired first class games + reifel has done an ODI. And there are also one or 2 ex state playes who are being rushed through. Hopefully they get to the elite panel before their sight and hearing starts going

Thats all well, but what about when you guys have a test series, you'll hope other test nations uncover some decent umps in due course.

It is a worry when only 3 of the 12 on panel are under 50 and one of them is Billy Bowden ffs.

Honestly though, it is quite a serious issue. I mean my OP was laughable due to the severe naivity of my understanding of anything remotely involved with the ICC.

Thats the funny part, that you're meant to believe that these 'elite' members have gone through rigorous preparation for a career of intense travelling and concentration in a mix of tough conditions. In all seriousness though, I just thought about how serious they think about the game if they give umpires with poor eyesight, elite status. FFS.

It's just a plethora of problems that the Government of Cricket are putting forward. (This was posted by DJ_Sage).

It also asks the question, did Umpires like Bucknor and Rudi get away with this in the early days because there was much less technology involved?


I'm an understanding person, and I will not castrate an umpire too often if they make the odd wry decision which changes the course of a game. However, I'm not sure if you can forgive an umpire who blatantly gets it wrong over and over again. It's a really tough call to make, but maybe Umpires should be given a particular limit to how many matches they can officiate in over their career, so we prevent them getting to such a state where they struggle to take a light metre reading. Also, maybe they should start when they're 40 rather than 50.


100 games for each umpire before they have to call it a day. I mean they don't take part in every test series each year, so 100 tests should range around a decade, depending on performance, decision ratio and input to the game outside umpiring.

One more thing, I've been fairly harsh on Rudi in this thread. I think he's a decent umpire (at times), and he's a world apart from the worst umpire on the panel, Harper.

G.Wood wrote:MB might know more about it.

I do know that CA are trying to fast track some ex players through the umpire system. Paul Reiffel and Blocker Wilson are two ex-test players who have umpired first class games + reifel has done an ODI. And there are also one or 2 ex state playes who are being rushed through. Hopefully they get to the elite panel before their sight and hearing starts going

'
Reiffel should get on the int panel soon


ashoka has always been an ord ump...Rudi and Steve have suffered from the ageing process and are no longer up to park cricket...let alone tests

Who's this young cove Colin Egar I have heard so much about?

And what about Dick French?

DJ_Sage wrote:It also asks the question, did Umpires like Bucknor and Rudi get away with this in the early days because there was much less technology involved?


I'm an understanding person, and I will not castrate an umpire too often if they make the odd wry decision which changes the course of a game. However, I'm not sure if you can forgive an umpire who blatantly gets it wrong over and over again. It's a really tough call to make, but maybe Umpires should be given a particular limit to how many matches they can officiate in over their career, so we prevent them getting to such a state where they struggle to take a light metre reading. Also, maybe they should start when they're 40 rather than 50.


100 games for each umpire before they have to call it a day. I mean they don't take part in every test series each year, so 100 tests should range around a decade, depending on performance, decision ratio and input to the game outside umpiring.

All valid points. Do they do any competency testing, eyes, hearing, reflexes etc??

It may be sagacious to determine if an umpire can stay on the panel by some sort of testing rather than by number of tests.

skully wrote:Who's this young cove Colin Egar I have heard so much about?

and while we are on about young and up and comers, Victoria has a tearaway left arm quick who has already terrorised the pomgolians....no not Nannes the Goat - Ian Meckiff...if only the chair of the NSP young donnie bradman would give him a go

Nigel Llong is also an umpire who is highly rated. He's certainly a better umpire than he was a player.

I don't think playing Test cricket is remotely a pre-requisite. Taufel is far and away the best umpire in the world at the moment.

Shoeshine wrote:Taufel is far and away the best umpire in the world at the moment.

And yet, not allowed to officiate in the marquee series for the year.

Zat wrote:

Shoeshine wrote:Taufel is far and away the best umpire in the world at the moment.

And yet, not allowed to officiate in the marquee series for the year.

With the referral system in place later in the year (for better or worse) there should be no reason at all why English and Australian umpires shouldn't officiate in these matches. I doubt any England fan (well, apart from the knuckle draggers) would be anything other than delighted to have Taufel.

Cricket Australia has an accelerated pathway for ex First class cricketers and a normal pathway for other ...you probably skip about 3 years on the fast track

Rod Tucker , Paul Reiffel and Paul Wilson are all part of that sytem ...not sure if there are any others doing it ...Al Mullally did the course but decided umpiring wasn't for him

The WACA has 4 senior grades as well as Womens and junior cricket that they supply umpires to.

Above the WACA comp there is U 17 and U19 national championships ...the Womens national league ...the state second XI competition and then the state team games

An "emerging" umpire from each state will go to the underage championships with that states umpires coach ...each umpires performance will be heavily scrutinised by their coach , the other coaches and the other umpires

The umpires on the CA panel are required to undergo fitness tests and health checks and to maintain their fitness .

WA currently has Ian Lock , Jeff Brookes , Andrew Craig and Mick Martell as CA umpires and Paul Wilson on the CA fast track . Nathan Johnstone and Todd Rann are the next most likely to be FC umpires .

Of those Mick Martell is my tip to be a Test umpire ...He is an ex WACA first grade batsman and still holds a partnership record at Wanneroo with Mike Hussey ...and has attempted an "assassination" on me that ended in a draw at 7am