BCCI TO CONSIDER SIMON TAUFEL’S SUGGESTIONS FOR INDIA’S PROGRESS IN INTERNATIONAL UMPIRING

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to give a consideration to the international umpire, Simon Taufel’s, suggestions on improving the standards of umpiring in India.

The absence of Indian umpires in the International Cricket Council‘s (ICC) elite panel has emerged a huge matter of concern for the BCCI.

In order to tackle the worsening condition of umpiring in India, BCCI took an initiative and inked a contract with Cricket Australia (CA) a few years back.

According to the contract, CA is due to help BCCI in developing a system that ensures regular production of good umpires in India.

As a part of BCCI’s efforts to raise the standards of umpiring in the country, Taufel was invited to attend a seminar and deliver a lecture to 105 Indian umpires, who officiate during domestic cricket in the country.

“They need to be supported by practical training, a proper assessment system, and the knowledge that the best will get to the top," Taufel said of Indian first-class umpires.

He added, "Just like players who are dropped and promoted on the basis of performance, the umpires need to be rewarded or punished.”

Taufel suggested some valuable ideas to BCCI to perk up the umpiring standards in India. The Board has finally decided to do take serious action and discuss the proposals submitted by the great umpire.

The 40-year-old umpire is regarded as one of the best across the globe. He has officiated 67 Tests and 167 One Day Internationals in his 12-year-long umpiring career.

Furthermore, he has won five consecutive ‘ICC’s Umpire of the Year’ awards from 2004 to 2008.

The meeting of the Umpires’ sub-committee of the BCCI is scheduled to be held in Mumbai, today, June 18, 2011, and along discussing the names of Indian umpires for the elite panel, the members of the committee, former Indian skipper, S Venkataragahavan, former international umpires S K Bansal and AV Jayprakash, will also ponder over Taufel’s plan.

"Taufel has by far been the best international umpire for the past 10 years. He has given some valuable suggestions on the process of improving the standard of umpiring. The pros and cons of the proposal is likely to be discussed at the Umpires' Committee meeting on Saturday," said a BCCI source.

India still against Hawk-Eye for umpire challenges in England series

India have admitted that their refusal to use technology to assist umpiring decisions for the upcoming Test series against England is due to their refusal to accept Hawk-Eye's accuracy.

Indian cricket board officials reject the aid's predictive element even though Hawk-Eye claims an accuracy of under 25mm even in the most "extreme" lbw decisions and the evidence has convinced the International Cricket Council to implement the system worldwide.

The BCCI's president Shashan Manohar said: "I have told the ICC that we have no problem with Hot Spot. Our objection is to ball-tracking – it just becomes a case of someone else's imagination versus the umpire's imagination."

The assertion by a leading BCCI official that Hawk-Eye is based on "imagination" will hardly persuade the international cricketing fraternity that India are making a serious attempt to analyse the science behind it.

The Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS), which allows teams to challenge an umpire's decision, has been accepted by most leading nations and was in use at the World Cup, which was co-hosted and won by India. They, however, have been against the system from the time it was used on a trial basis in their series against Sri Lanka in 2008.

UDRS is increasingly credited in England with enhancing good umpiring, demanding greater player responsibility and removing flash-points. Without it England's four-Test series against India can look forward to some good, old-fashioned rows.

If anybody might change the BCCI's stance it is Sachin Tendulkar. Cynics suggest that he is resistant to the use of UDRS because the world's most celebrated batsman tends to get the benefit of the doubt in borderline decisions.

Not so. Tendulkar told ESPNcricinfo: "I'm not against UDRS but I feel it will be more effective with the support of Snickometer and Hot Spot technology. This will give more consistent results."

The England and Wales Cricket Board's response to India's refusal has at best been measured, limited to a vague expression of disappointment. A spokesman said that England are "comfortable" with UDRS. As the ICC agreement stands, both countries must agree to the use of umpiring technology.

The ICC's cricket committee recommended last month that technological aids be universally adopted in international cricket and although there has been talk of enforcing this at the ICC annual meeting in Hong Kong this month, it would be a major surprise if India's lone stance was overturned or, indeed, if the ECB made a concerted attempt to force the issue.

Hawk-Eye claims that its system has an average error of only 5mm in "normal" instances of lbw appeals, with a maximum error of 15mm. This rises to under 25mm for "extreme" lbw appeals, for example when the batsman is well forward. The current protocol, therefore, allows a safety margin, ruling in favour of an umpire's original decision of 45mm.

None of this appeases India. If Tendulkar is adjudged leg-before at Lord's on 99 off a big inside edge, their view may change. Tendulkar might be sanguine, the rest of India might not.

CHRIS GAYLE WAS A MOTIVATION FOR MARLON SAMUELS DURING HIS BANNED DAYS

West Indian middle order batsman, Marlon Samuels, showed his gratitude towards fellow team member, Chris Gayle, recognizing his support during the former’s banned days.

Samuels declared that it was because of Gayle’s support that he remained focused and was able to bounce back from the phase of depression during his two year ban.

The West Indian was banned from playing cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC), after it was found that Samuels had a conversation with a bookie. It was during this wearisome stage that Gayle laid full support to him and the two became best friends.

Samuels said, “He was great motivation. Chris played a huge role in helping me stay focused during those two years, which eventually helped me to stay in tune with my game.”

The 30-year-old batsman found little friends when ICC forbade him from playing. Even his fans and former cricketers turned their backs on him and considered the batsman as a disgrace to West Indian cricket.  

However, after having done his time, Samuels is back in the side and is looking solid as ever. In the recently concluded one-day series against the Indians, the batsman showed glimpses of brilliance but could not inspire his side to victory as they lost the event 3-2.

The middle order batsman scored 128 runs and averaged 32 in the ODI series against India.

Gayle and Samuels find each other on the flip side of the coin this time around. It is the right-hander who is playing and his best friend is sitting out in the audience.

The West Indian dynamite, Gayle, is at logger heads with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) after his controversial interview.

The 31-year-old was side-lined from the ODI series against India and as far as current progress is concerned it is believed that he will also be ignored for the Test series, which is scheduled to begin from June 20, 2011.

A WICB official said, “The comments made by him [Gayle] in the interview had created much ill-will with team management and unless there was a settling of differences, it would be difficult to see how the parties could harmoniously function.”

Samuels appeared to return the favour to Gayle. The batsman showed his support towards his friend when he ran towards him to celebrate the victory over India, after Kieron Pollard smashed the winning runs in the last ODI.

Domestic T20 Cup schedule announced, live telecast on Geo Super

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the schedule of domestic Twenty20 Cup here on Friday.

GEO Super will telecast all matches of the tournament live.

Eight teams will participate in the event, which will be played from June 24 to July 1 at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.

All the eight teams have been divided in the following two groups.

Group A: Lahore Lions, Sialkot Stallions, Islamabad Leopards, Hyderabad Hawks. Group B: Faisalabad Wolves, Rawalpindi Rams, Karachi Dolphins, Multan Tigers.

The opening match will be played between Faisalabad Wolves and Multan Tigers on June 24 while the semifinals will be played on June 30 and the final will be held on July 1.

All matches of the Super Eight T20 Cup will be telecast live on Geo Super.

Yusuf Pathan 100 of 37 balls