Shepherd for optimum use of technology

By G. Viswanath

MUMBAI, FEB. 22. David Shepherd will complete a rare half-century when he stands in the first Test between India and South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium beginning on Thursday.

Only Dicky Bird has officiated more Tests (66) than him or any other umpire. This will be Shepherd's third Test on Indian soil. He was the National Grid International Cricket Council's umpire for the Test match against South Africa at Kanpur in 1996 and against Australia at Bangalore in 1998.

It will be interesting to know that Shepherd's 49th Test also featured India. This was in Australia recently. Fittingly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed a senior umpire in Srinivas Venkatraghavan for the first Test. Shepherd, Venkatraghavan and West Indies' Steve Bucknor are considered to be the top three umpires in international cricket.

If Dicky Bird was the most respected and popular umpire for the way he gave decisions and for his mannerisms, Shepherd has been held in same awe and is as popular as Bird was, if not more. This, he has been able to achieve over a period of two decades after he became a first class umpire in 1981. He became a Test umpire in 1985 and a National Grid Panel umpire in 1994. His first Test was against Australia at Manchester in 1985. He has stood in 92 one-day internationals.

Shepherd said he had `plenty of time' to talk to the reporters covering the Board President's XI vs South Africa match at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday. He answered questions for half an hour. He said he would not have reached the 50th Test had it not been for the introduction of the independent panel of umpires by the ICC.

``Now it is an all the year around job. We go away during the off season to do Test matches. There are more opportunities. More opportunities for the established umpires which makes it difficult for new umpires to come through. I will be doing this Test with an Indian umpire. Years ago it was two Indian umpires. So there will be limited opportunities for the new umpires.''

``Also I have been very lucky the players have basically treated me well. If they had not, I don't think I would have lasted 50 Test matches. Generally speaking, the media too has been good to me. Sometimes I read papers, some times I don't. Some times we get into a bad patch. Our aim is to do a good job, but we all have off days. We are all human.''

Shepherd welcomed the `spirit of the game' preamble to the new Laws of the game that will come into force from next September. ``I think the spirit of the game is important. The game should be played in the right manner. We must maintain behavioural standards. The players must remember that they are role models for kids growing up and they must play the game correctly and behave correctly.''

`Encourage new umpires'

On Imran Khan's recent suggest that two neutral umpires should stand in a Test match, he said, ``I think that will be very disappointing for home umpires. For example, an umpire from England would like to stand in a Test at Lord's. If there were two ICC panel umpires, he will never stand at Lord's. It's the same with the Indian umpire; he will not get a chance to stand at the Eden Gardens, Calcutta. I think more and new umpires must be encouraged. They must have a goal.''

``I think the `Standard Playing Conditions' are good...the rules and regulations must be the same all over the world. I think we have a lot more help from the cameras these days. But they also show some flaws...for and against. The third umpire has been of great help; and with the players' behaviour standards, the Match Referee has been of great help. They can fine or suspend them. The umpires can only tell them off.''

Shepherd favoured maximum help with the advancement of technology even if it meant seeking the help of the television to confirm if the batsman had nicked or not. ``As technology improves, more decisions will go to cameras. That's my personal feeling. I don't know whether it is right or wrong. People say it will take everything from the umpire. It will. But we don't play for the sake of the umpires, we play for the game's sake. And anything which improves the game, anything that helps the umpires to get the decision right must be good for the game. The game deserves correct decisions and the players deserve correct decisions. We don't want to wait for ten minutes to get a decision. But as along as its practical, yes... and anything that achieves good for the game must be used.''

``There is a lot of pressure on the umpires because of replays. None of us would like to get it wrong. We take a lot of pride in our performance, just as the players do in their performances. Some times the cameras prove it right, said Shepherd, who was awarded the MBE (Member of British Empire) in 1997.

He said the climate and pitch conditions are important for the players and for the umpires, too. ``Conditions play an important part in the game. It's difficult for players and it's difficult for us. It's the same with the pitches. I left London when the temperature was below zero. It's in the mid 20s here. It applies to the Indian umpires too, when they come there in April and May. It's very cold.''

When asked if the teams from the subcontinent indulged in excessive, appealing he said, ``Some times. But the Match Referees take close interest in these matters watching it on the television or if the umpires report, the referees step in. But we can not be like school masters. We are dealing with professionals. Possibly an academy for umpires will be an interesting thought. But experience can be gained only on the field. Academy will help more in training.''

Shepherd did not rule out the possibility of technology being used by the captain and coach in cricket. ``It's happening in other sports. It can happen in cricket. But it will be asked ``Why can not the captain do his job himself?''

Shepherd has played 282 first class matches, mostly for Gloucestershire, scored 10,412 runs, 12 centuries, 55 half centuries before becoming a first class umpire. About his peculiar habit when the team score is 111, he said, ``It's all superstitions really. 111 is the bogey number in England. It's 87 in Australia. And to avoid a bad happening at that number, I take the feet off the ground so that nothing bad will happen to the players, umpires and to the game itself!''

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