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| Saturday, 26 February 2005 |
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From the Press Box An eye on the World Cup Former World Cup champions Sri Lanka will be keeping an eye on the outcome of the five-match one-day international series between Australia and New Zealand not for anything, but because it will determine which group they will be slotted into in the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. With the International Cricket Council (ICC) deciding that April 1, 2005 being the cut-off date to form the basis of the seedings for the ninth World Cup, this series will be of particular importance to Sri Lanka. Currently Sri Lanka is placed third in the ICC one-day international championship rankings behind Australia and New Zealand. Going on this ranking Sri Lanka will be placed in Group 3 along with England and Kenya and an associate member country. But the scenario can change if New Zealand fails to beat Australia in any one of their on-going five one-day internationals. The Black Caps are already 0-2 down in the series having lost the first two matches. However they need to win only one of the remaining three matches to retain second spot. If they fail to do that, New Zealand will lose their runner up spot to Sri Lanka. This would mean that Sri Lanka will be seeded in Group 2 which will consist of India, Bangladesh and an associate member country. The two losses New Zealand has suffered against Australia cut down their total points from 120 at the start of the series to 118. Sri Lanka is lying third with 117 and has no one-day commitments prior to April 1. With the 2007 World Cup format changed from previously two pools to four pools to accommodate an additional two countries making it 16 in all, the top two teams from each of these four groups will progress to the Super Eights stage from which four teams will qualify for the semi-finals. World champions Australia are grouped with South Africa and two associate member countries in Pool 1 while Pool 4 comprises Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe and an associate member. Sri Lanka's record in the World Cup is commendable when compared to some of their more illustrious rivals. They won the Cup in 1996 and were losing semi-finalists in 2003. Australia (3 times), West Indies (2 times), Pakistan (once) and India (once) are the only countries to have won the World Cup in its 30-year-old history. England, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, the other Test-playing nations have yet to taste success. A proud achievement There was a time when international cricket umpires were at the mercy of the players on the field. The pressure brought on them by the fielding sides was immense that some weak hearted umpires succumbed to it and played into their hands. When things were just about getting out of control, the ICC brought about a change to supervise player behaviour on the field by introducing a code of conduct where a player could be reported by an umpire if he didn't conform to certain rules and regulations which the ICC brought into play to ease the burden on the poor umpires. If found guilty, the player could get a suspension and/or a fine or a reprimand. Match referees were brought into support the umpires and this way the ICC has been able to curb on field behaviour by players. Today the umpires come under extreme pressure not because of the players, for that is only just part of it, but mainly because of technology. Television replays has become the umpires nightmares. To add more fuel to the already existing fire by an umpiring decision is sometimes blown totally out of proportions by the TV commentators, the majority of them being past cricketers. They pass judgement on the umpires decisions seated in the comfort of air-conditioned boxes and nine times out of ten they get hold of the wrong end of the stick and go hammer and tong criticizing the poor official standing sometimes under the most extreme weather conditions from the coldest to the hottest, and before some of the largest crowds at cricket grounds of varying sizes from the smallest to the largest. Hardly a thought is spared for them. In this context the achievement of West Indian Steve Bucknor who is on the verge of becoming the first cricket umpire in the world to officiate in a century of Test matches is commendable. Bucknor is scheduled to make history in the second Test between India and Pakistan at Calcutta on March 16 where he will stand alongside Australia's Darrell Hair. Over the years Bucknor who is also a FIFA qualified football referee has earned the name of 'slow death' because of his deliberation before giving a batsman out. He is neither unhurried nor unfazed by what has happened but takes his own time in arriving at a decision. One of the golden rules of umpiring is to make a judgement on the action without hurry. Tom Smith's Cricket Umpiring and Scoring' states: "The umpire should wait a second or two to formulate a mental picture of the action before calmly and deliberately giving a decision." No one does it any better than Bucknor. To some batsmen it seems like eternity before the finger goes up but most of them have now got the hang of it and wait patiently for the verdict. Bucknor has earned the respect of umpires, players and supporters of the game worldwide. He has been sought after by many cricket nations to give lectures, demonstrations to improve the officiating skills of their umpires. His opinion is often regarded as the final authority on umpiring matters. The 58-year-old Jamaican from Montego Bay has been a frequent visitor to Sri Lanka. He was last here in August to officiate the Sri Lanka-South Africa Test at the SSC. He also officiated in the last two Tests played by Sri Lanka in Pakistan in October. It was also against Sri Lanka that Bucknor broke the world record for Test umpiring appearances when he officiated in the third Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester in 2002. On that occasion he surpassed England Test umpire Dickie Bird's record of 66 Test appearances. The ICC's general manager cricket Dave Richardson, a former South Africa Test wicket-keeper said: "Steve Bucknor is an outstanding umpire who has the respect of international cricketers throughout the world. He is an excellent decision-maker who controls a match with an authority that allows him to work well with players." West Indies cricket should be proud that even though their cricket is in a parlous state, their good name has not been tarnished internationally because of men like Bucknor. |
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