Your Cricket A rant.

[Fake Passport]

So, I've had a frustrating couple of games. I'm not allowed to grab players by the collar and yell laws at them, or beat it into them with a over counter, so I figure I would do it figuratively online, because, you know, the internet listens.

1. I don't stand there for minutes signalling to the scorers because I think I look cool doing it, the accuracy of the scorecard of your match is reliant on those 2 volunteers acknowledging that they get what is going on. If it takes them a minute to catch up and acknowledge that's fine. Relax.

2. If you tell me that they ran short you just make it look like, when I call it, that I'm only doing it because you told me to. I saw it, let me do my job and you do yours. Similarly, I don't call front foot No-Balls randomly, and it really doesn't phase me if you have 'literally never been called before'.

3. I've been extremely lucky enough to have been tested for accuracy in calling LBW's independently. On this point I'm pretty damned cocky because I know my accuracy figures to a %age point on every metric, so you'll forgive me if I don't believe you when you walk past me and say 'you idiot, that was sliding down!', and also don't be surprised when your booked for dissent. (Broader note - Batsmen often forget they have a leg stump. You can be out LBW because its hitting leg as much as because its hitting middle - Yes, its true!)

4. No - my vision isn't that great that sometimes I can't tell if a ball had just crossed a boundary delineated by the odd cone, or whether it was boundary 4 or 6. My optical powers are limited by parallax as much as anyone's, and sometimes I will rely on the cues of the other umpire, or *gasp* the players closer to it.

[/rant]

 

[Deleted member 46200]

So, I've had a frustrating couple of games. I'm not allowed to grab players by the collar and yell laws at them, or beat it into them with a over counter, so I figure I would do it figuratively online, because, you know, the internet listens.

1. I don't stand there for minutes signalling to the scorers because I think I look cool doing it, the accuracy of the scorecard of your match is reliant on those 2 volunteers acknowledging that they get what is going on. If it takes them a minute to catch up and acknowledge that's fine. Relax.

2. If you tell me that they ran short you just make it look like, when I call it, that I'm only doing it because you told me to. I saw it, let me do my job and you do yours. Similarly, I don't call front foot No-Balls randomly, and it really doesn't phase me if you have 'literally never been called before'.

3. I've been extremely lucky enough to have been tested for accuracy in calling LBW's independently. On this point I'm pretty damned cocky because I know my accuracy figures to a %age point on every metric, so you'll forgive me if I don't believe you when you walk past me and say 'you idiot, that was sliding down!', and also don't be surprised when your booked for dissent. (Broader note - Batsmen often forget they have a leg stump. You can be out LBW because its hitting leg as much as because its hitting middle - Yes, its true!)

4. No - my vision isn't that great that sometimes I can't tell if a ball had just crossed a boundary delineated by the odd cone, or whether it was boundary 4 or 6. My optical powers are limited by parallax as much as anyone's, and sometimes I will rely on the cues of the other umpire, or *gasp* the players closer to it.

[/rant]

The first person to reply is a woman and we're genetically built not to listen, however, I read so feel appreciated!

 

[Deleted member 46200]

And now a serious answer,

1. I don't stand there for minutes signalling to the scorers because I think I look cool doing it, the accuracy of the scorecard of your match is reliant on those 2 volunteers acknowledging that they get what is going on. If it takes them a minute to catch up and acknowledge that's fine. Relax.

Players will always try and call the game, sadly, we all do it. Yep, I too can be a little bitch but pay heed when my Caption speaks, it's a heat of the moment thing when the adrenaline is pumping I don't mean anything by it but can't speak for others. We should have total respect for officials just like in Rugby Union.

2. If you tell me that they ran short you just make it look like, when I call it, that I'm only doing it because you told me to. I saw it, let me do my job and you do yours. Similarly, I don't call front foot No-Balls randomly, and it really doesn't phase me if you have 'literally never been called before'.

Again adrenaline, we get caught up in our own little world and feel mummy never loved us as children and need security that all is fair and right. Never been called? Hey virgin first time for everything... Accepting decisions is crucial foot faults are the bowlers problem and down to technique.

3. I've been extremely lucky enough to have been tested for accuracy in calling LBW's independently. On this point I'm pretty damned cocky because I know my accuracy figures to a %age point on every metric, so you'll forgive me if I don't believe you when you walk past me and say 'you idiot, that was sliding down!', and also don't be surprised when your booked for dissent. (Broader note - Batsmen often forget they have a leg stump. You can be out LBW because its hitting leg as much as because its hitting middle - Yes, its true!)

I don't know about others but on my follow through I'm off to the left side and don't have a good angle to judge, I'll call if there is no contact with the bat and see what happens. But I wouldn't insult the Umpire

4. No - my vision isn't that great that sometimes I can't tell if a ball had just crossed a boundary delineated by the odd cone, or whether it was boundary 4 or 6. My optical powers are limited by parallax as much as anyone's, and sometimes I will rely on the cues of the other umpire, or *gasp* the players closer to it.

This is one that I question, how would you know? It can be a fair distance however, the honesty of the fielder should be taken into consideration we are afteral, playing a game...?

 

[Fake Passport]

Oh I have no problem with a bowler appealing ferociously, thats part of the game, this was a batsmen I had given out walking back to the rooms say to me 'You idiot ... that was sliding down'. Nothing a 4 match (2 now, 2 suspended) ban wont fix.
And that last one, I do trust the fielders, that what I mean, but this game there was more than once where apparently 4 should have been 6, the ball did/didnt cross the line etc. Luckily it was the home team complaining, so a "Well, if you that picky provide ropes' comment or two quietened them down a bit...

 

[Aislabie]

You seem to be approaching this from a perspective of believing you make no mistakes. I'm sure that's not how you actually think but that's how it comes across and that's the sort of thing that makes some players vehemently dislike umpires collectively, based on their experiences of one or two particularly unpalatable ones.

Once you're off the field and looking dispassionately at a decision, you (as a player) can of course give a more honest appraisal of the decision, but in the heat of the moment, while playing a competitive sport, of course there's going to be an emotional response. And of course that emotional response is going to be geared far more strongly towards self-belief and/or self-preservation than towards calm acceptance of the guy who's just told you no.

Umpires shouldn't have to accept outright abuse, and it's entirely wrong when that happens, but they should also be prepared for the fact that players aren't going to be happy with every decision they receive, and in moderation that's actually okay. Hell, I remember one memorable occasion that a first-class umpire gave me out caught behind when I hadn't even nearly hit the ball because he'd been duped by the slip fielder making a well-timed clicking noise with his mouth. Even very good umpires make honest mistakes sometimes, but he probably still believes that he made the right decision on the day - if he even remembers it.

If, as it sounds, you're willing to slap a four-match ban on anyone who shows dissent, then you are part of the problem and part of the reason that ever-fewer people play competitive cricket. If you don't believe that you're that kind of umpire, perhaps you should just be a bit more careful about how it comes across.

 

[Fake Passport]

Oh I I make mistakes, my worst was when I called a wide, batsmen hit it and it was caught. I didn't retract my wide call. I still shudder when I think of that one. So many mistakes in one ball!

Im also one of the few umpires who will apologise to a player if I know I've stuffed it. That goes against what is current conventional wisdom but something I do none the less. I used to do this at the next break but learnt this season to do it at handshakes after the match...

Re the ban. The amount wasn't decided by me, I filled out the report but then it was out of my hands. Especially since the finding was accepted. (So no hearing). This was my only the 2nd report in 10ish years of umpiring, with the first being for racial vilification (so, no ambiguity in it).

My philosophy re these things is that you are allowed the reaction, the instinctive reaction when something happens. So you see the finger go up/the stumps break/catch taken and you stare at the umpire in disbelief for a sec or 2 or say a few choice words or stomp the bat into pads or whatever is fine, to me that's not dissent by any stretch, that's just disappointment.

In this case it was the calculated way the batter slowly walked along the pitch and said it, particularly calling me an idiot. Had he asked 'not sliding down?' or 'close call!?' type thing that would be fine, talked about it at the break/after the game etc all good and I'm happy to. But IMO the line was crossed.

I take your point about how its coming across here, and rest assured that I umpire differently than how I posted here. (Genuinely meant that to be a rant, not something I'd do in a game situation).

We know what is happening that, and this applies to sports on the whole, not just cricket, but participant conduct in sports is declining rapidly, abuse and assaults on umpires is on the rise and sports are finding it harder and harder to recruit and retain officials.

IMO there's a confluence of reasons, the professionation of sport, even at sub-elite level. The increasing tieup of sports and academics (players getting credit for performing to a certain level etc), a generation of kids, now adults that grew up with over zealous parents etc etc all contribute.

But in addition to that I also think, and it's particularly true in cricket I think, that training bodies have been inept in setting standards for things like dissent and the like, resting on the 'spirit of cricket' statement.

Together with a culture of it being percieved as weak to report means that umpires for a while now have been tolerating too much, and of course when something is tolerated it becomes the norm and then fringe acceptable behaviour has been redefined.

In that regard I would disagree with you about dissent, if it's wilful and calculated it should be dealt with and I think that it hasn't been dealt with historically stands in detriment to the game.

I also genuinely believe that there are too many umpires that don't take the role seriously, resting on the laurels of 'the umpire is always right' or 'Its only a game' or not bothering to read the bylaw, trying to equalise the game in field etc.

For those reasons I get why player attitude is diminishing, and I genuinely believe umpires don't help themselves. It's why I seriously worry about these new laws about sending players off the field, I think it's going to either make no difference because the status quo will remain and further redefine acceptable behaviour further along the spectrum, or embolden umpires to completely over react and only further inflame tensions.

I always make an effort to be accross bylaws, playing conditions or whatever. I always rock up to the ground 90mins early, generally make myself available, open to talk about things and the like. Serious but not robotic type thing.

As I say to new umpires, it might only be a game, they might not be professional players, but when they step on the field you have to assume that the game is the single most important thing they are doing and have on their mind and to be taken seriously you have to be taking it as seriously as they are.

So ends another rant, (Edit - Jeez, did not think I it was that long!) I agree with some of what you said, disagree with others and said things completely unrelated, but it's a topic I'm interested in. I'm in the process of getting ethics approval for a study looking at how players percieve attitudes in game and umpires (seperatly), it's never been done, it'll take months, but Ill post results

 

[zimrahil]

Great post - amazed no one responded ?

Any results to post yet?

 

[Fake Passport]

Great post - amazed no one responded ?

Any results to post yet?

The sheer size and scope of the area made me realise I can actually probably turn this into an fully fledged academic career. Hence I dropped it for what I was doing at the time so I could undertake more formal research studies, hopefully leading to a PhD, that all starts next year.
I was looking at performance management of labor in prisons. Looks like now ill be an academic umpire geek. The things that happen...