Cricket umpires

Press, 8 March 1989, Page 20

Cricket umpires

Sir,—As a cricket lover, I am tired of hearing about “attitude problems” toward our New Zealand umpires. I seem to recall a few years ago the same fuss

about “biased umpires” was discussed and allowed to blow over. If we are going to continue to have "the gentlemen’s sport” played internationally, then something has to be done now. My suggestion is that each visiting team brings with it at least one first class umpire. So that during play there would be an umpire from each country in attendance. This would not only elevate some of the attitudes on the field, but would once again make the game enjoyable to watch.—Yours, etc., \ DONNA MITCHELL. March 1, 1989. Sir, —There is little doubt that the survival of cricket, as we know it, is dependent on those dedicated enthusiasts, the umpires. In recent years they have been subjected to slow-motion TV replays. I feel sure that this is acceptable to them. However, the decline in standards and discipline in recent years has led to unacceptable harassment, pressure, and even abuse. This must inevitably lead to a decline in umpire members. Every cricketing country is guilty to some extent. The New Zealand Cricket Council recently fined two of our seasoned test players for bad behaviour in an Oamaru match. One of these reoffended in the recent Auckland test by gate-crashing the umpires’ room to query a decision. This should justify his non-inclusion in any future provincial or national side. As that “dear old thing,” the erudite “Professor” Henry Blofeld stated, bad behaviour by players is “simply not cricket." Without umpires, there will not be any cricket. —Yours, etc., C. W. BROMLEY. March 2, 1989.