‘An Elite Indian, why not?’

Simon Taufel says local umpires have to back their talent and passion with hard work

MUMBAI: When Simon Taufel won his fourth consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year award in Johannesburg last month, he was asked what he thought of comparisons with Roger Federer.

“Roger earns more money than me,” Taufel replied jokingly.

In Mumbai as a part of the initiative of the BCCI to train, develop and improve the standard of umpiring in India, Taufel took a time-out to talk on a wide spectrum of issues on Sunday. 

No cake walk

What many people won’t know is that Taufel takes his off-field preparation as seriously as Federer. The best umpire in the world uses a fitness trainer, has a nutritionalist, a life skills trainer and a coach.

Next week when he is back in New South Wales he will have a net session with some of the Australian players who are part of the team that is touring India. 

These support staff help Taufel to be at the top of his game. Umpires are on the road as much as players these days. Taufel stood-in the World T20 and then stood in two Tests spread over just 12 days.

Recovery is a bigger concern than burn-out, Taufel said. With a packed cricket calendar, Taufel will be back in India to officiate in the Pakistan series.

“It is important to be fit. It helps to cope with the jet lag and the heat, especially if you are standing-in cities like Mumbai,” Taufel said.

Incidentally, the hottest weather Taufel has experienced is when he stood in the third Test of the India-England series early last year, a game Andrew Flintoff’s team won to level the series.

Elite Indian

Since the retirement of Srinivas Venkatraghavan in 2004, no Indian has found a place in the Elite Panel. Taufel believes the BCCI has taken a giant step in the right direction by deciding to appoint assessors in all five zones for umpires.

“These assessors will also back-up as coaches of umpires initially and that will be a new initiative in India. We are trying to put in place the right tools and the ideal environment that will help the best umpires in India go right to the top.

It is a three-year process and if these umpires work hard and apply themselves then there is no reason why an Indian umpire shouldn’t be part of the Elite panel.”

Taufel believes Indians have the right attitude and passion to back their talent.

A drawback that needs to be addressed is the English language and communication skills. “Umpires from the sub-continent will sooner rather than later have to learn to effectively communicate in England as well as write in English. It will help in ensuring that these umpires’ man-management skills improve.”

Technology rules?

Hot Spot, Hawk Eye, Super Slo-Mo cameras and Snick-o-Meters can enhance the television audience’s experience, but can show the umpire in bad light at times.

Taufel said that technology has to be used in the right balance. “Technology should be looked at with an open mind. For line calls (run outs) use of technology is very effective but how it should be used with regard to catching is debatable.”

However, Taufel believes that the mark of a good umpire is to give good decisions consistently even as technology dissects and plays out every small error.

“Now with up to 23 cameras from different angles focussed on the action in the middle there is going to be angle of viewing that the umpire doesn’t have and hasn’t seen. For that reason, people are seeing more errors these days.”

But Taufel has a word of caution for those who judge umpires too harshly. “We shouldn’t be using technology that isn’t 100 per cent accurate 100 per cent of the time. Human error shouldn’t be replaced by technological error.”