The umpires in the Sydney Test match have been scrutinised, criticised, condemned and ridiculed, both for the flawed decisions and for the general conduct of the game, but neither Steve Bucknor nor Mark Benson have had a chance to explain their position or rationale because of the ICC’s code of conduct.
M.R. SURESH, a qualified State umpire from Karnataka, better known to the cricketing world as “Robin“, says three cardinal principles of the “Spirt of the Game” were violated during the match. But he is not at all surprised with the dodgy decisions, especially those from Bucknor.
“At least 60 of Shane Warne‘s 708 victims are courtesy of Bucknor. Bucknor gave many front-foot LBW decisions off Warne, although Warne was never so accurate as Anil Kumble with his flippers and striaght ones. Muttiah Muralitharan never got such decisions from Bucknor.”
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In the Laws of Cricket, and it is easy to forget that cricket is the one game which has “laws” not rules, the preamble talks of “The Spirit of Cricket”.
“The major responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the captains,“ but I saw only one captain who had understood the spirit of the game.
“The responsibility for the team’s conduct firmly on the captain,” but Ricky Ponting was seen clearly violating this.
It is against the Spirit of the Game to “appeal knowing the batsman is not out“ but the Aussies did this even though they knew better, more so Ponting declared Saurav Ganguly out.
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The umpires’ decision should always be accepted without dissent. This was what the Indians did. But were the umpires right all the time? Even on the first day of the match, their concentration left much to be desired.
And on the final day, Benson had no business to ask Michael Clarke if he had made the catch when he could have gone to the third umpire. The need is for more umpires in the elite panel, particularly from Test-playing nations where there is a culture of spin bowling, or for more umpires from subcontinent.
As an umpire, I would have stood by one or two of the decisions as I may feel I should also be in such situations, like Wasim Jaffer being bowled off a no-ball off Brett Lee or Andrew Symonds being caught behind off Ishant Sharma. But I will never make Benson’s mistake of asking the fielder and of not hearing what Harbhajan Singh told Symonds.
churumuri 
Here is a solution:
Only Indian umpires for matches India plays. A selector or journalist who can double up as an umpire would be even better.
Fans, sponsors, players all happy. And if we still keep losing, we wont have *anyone* to blame but our lack of fitness and skills.
And there would be no race bogeyman to go to too.
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I respect Robin’s views on what happened. He is a a very good umpire and I remember in one league match where I was constantly encouraging the bowlers from 2nd slip( between deliveries only), the batsman complained, but Robin rightly overruled. By the way, why was he called ‘Robin’ or “Maara?”
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>> But I will never make Benson’s mistake of asking the fielder and of not hearing what Harbhajan Singh told Symonds.
yes, its criminal the Benson didn’t visit diagon alley to get extendable ears from the weasleys.
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I agree with Anonymous Guy. Only Indian Umpires, and even better the umpires who umpired our teams while we were playing street cricket with tennis balls and wooden planks and with three vertical lines drawn on my neighbours wall with a charcoal to represent the wickets should have the priority.
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I suggest the following list of umpires whenener Indian team plays:
Modi
Sonia
Laloo
Thiru Karuna
Pawar
Deve Gowda
UR Ananthamurthy
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If I were Mr Speed, I would keep the umpires appointed for Perth and uphold the ban on Harbhajan Singh Otherwise, the ICC will become a wounded animal waiting for its demise. Pawar is a politician who is also a bully and BCCI is blackmailing the ICC. If the Indian team cuts short of the tour and return to India, besides losing the income and the payment of fine for an uncompleted tour they will be left playing only 20-20 for years to come as no cricketing nation beyond the shores of the subcontinent will wlecome them or visit them. The Srilankan’s and Pakistani’s are not stupid. They know the value of competing internationally.
The appeal should not succeed and ICC should throw down the guantlet daring Pawar to recall the team. India will be loser at the end.
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We need to keep the discussion germane to the unacceptable behavior rather than rake up as much dust as possible. Warne could have gotten 40 of those 60 out with an orange…
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Don Bradman was out in single digits in 46 of the total of 80 innings. The umpire never gave him out. He would not have been great if the umpires hadn’t helped him out. This is true.. I am not making this up.
Come on, Churumuri, you can do better than street-corner debate points.
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@ Maaraa a.ka. Robin a.ka. Suresh MR
Good thought – but do Australians care anything about it?? Their forefathers were banned from England and packed off to Australia because they were like wild dogs. They say, inbreeding is dangerous and it is there for all of us to see!!
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While there is no doubt about the cardinal principles being violated, the piece about Warne getting 60 victims courtsey Bucknor or anybody else can best be termed as hearsay. At the most one can make a generic statement about him being benefitted but to quote a specific number when such statistics are not collected and need observation of a large number of matches does not make a whole lot of sense.
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Since an umpire is saying Shane Warne was a beneficiary of Steve Bucknor’s dreaded slow finger, may I ask: “Were all the 10 victims that Anil Kumble obtained in Delhi with A.V. Jayaprakash behind him beyond a pale of doubt?”
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@Aatmasakshi
It is not for nothing that Bangaloreans wink and nudge when they talk of AV jayaprakash Circle ;)
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@Indian Flipper
Looks like you are an agent of ICC!
OK! Now you tell what was the solution of the injustice meted out to India? 11 wrong umpiring decisions which went against India. Harbhajan was banned inspite Sachin didnt hear anything, the umpires didnt hear anything and there was no audio proof. Looks like you got nuts! Go and get yourself checked up by some psychiatrist :D
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New dictionary words – Improve your Vocab ;-)
Ponting: (n) (adj)
1. A substance or entity or even a person of unquestionable integrity
2. An act of uncivilised behaviour. [Also, pontingness (n)]
Usage: The judge was driven towards justice because he knew that the pontiff was a ponting.
Sir Bonkers said, “Don’t try to bully me. I surely can fathom the pontingness in your eyes”.
Bucknor: (n) (adj)
1. Temporary blindness leading to missing out on the obvious.
2. To be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
3. Situations leading to grave judgemental errors.
Usage: I feel bucknored by my boss; Life often throws a bucknor at you.
Benson: (n) (adj)
1. Something that legitimises a severe bucknor.
Usage: First they bucknored me and then they bensoned it! I am toast.
Also see bucknor
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