Conference of umpires and referees concludes in Dubai
Officials showing real teamwork and energy, says Vince van der Bijl Steve Davis: “Everyone is committed to being the best they can be” Positive feedback from decision review system trial
Some 65 of the world’s top cricket officials met in Dubai this week for an intensive three-day seminar designed to improve teamwork and raise the levels of performance at the various levels of international umpiring and refereeing.
The meeting was attended by members of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and ICC Match Referees, members of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires and the ICC Associate and Affiliate International Umpires’ Panel as well as the five newly appointed Regional Umpire Performance Managers (RUPMs).*
Umpire managers from each of the 10 Full Members were also invited in order to assist in the implementation of consistent logistical support for officials and to share umpiring development strategies.
The RUPMs had the chance to meet with officials from their respective regions in order to discuss a wide range of issues. It was also an opportunity for match officials to talk to ICC staff about any matters related to the smooth running of cricket around the world from their point of view.
“I think it went very well,” said ICC Umpires’ and Referees’ Manager Vince van der Bijl.
“I was impressed with the level of energy and commitment that was displayed by everyone, across all sections. They were long days but it was very encouraging to see everyone so involved and attentive.
“There is a real desire among our umpires and referees to work as a team with a commonality of purpose. These guys are continually striving to get better and we now look forward to the next 12 months. There is always a lot of work to do but we are putting the right building blocks in place to make sure our officials’ performances continue to improve,” said van der Bijl.
It was a positive view that was shared by the officials themselves.
“I thought it was an extremely useful few days,” said Steve Davis from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.
“The highlight for me was the way everyone was focused and committed to improving at all levels and across all aspects of their jobs. It really came through that everyone is determined to be the best they can be and there is a genuine solidarity of purpose among all umpires, referees and other officials who were there.
“Every session was designed to aid us in finding out how we can be better and more professional in what we do and we always sought to identify practical ways in which to achieve that. It was a very positive meeting and it was great to see so many people present.
“For me, the most interesting thing was the detail surrounding the decision review system and the upcoming further trials. There was very positive feedback from the first trial (in the Sri Lanka v India series) and now we want to continue those trials and make a really in-depth analysis of the system.†
“We need to be open-minded when considering the system and we are committed to being objective and giving it a real good try,” said Davis.
Another important part of the conference was a discussion on the preferred interpretations for Test and ODI playing conditions. This included such topics as pre-match processes, substitute fielders, use of artificial lighting, reverse sweeping, pitch protection and many other aspects of the playing of the game.
This section was led by the officials themselves and was particularly significant and timely as 1 October marks the implementation date for new Test and ODI playing conditions that were agreed upon by the CEC in June.
Members of the ICC Associate and Affiliate International Umpires’ Panel heard a presentation from ICC Development Events Manager Andrew Faichney outlining the opportunities coming up for them in the next 12 months or so.
These include the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League, ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier and ICC Intercontinental Cup as well as several regionally based tournaments and bilateral series.
*The newly appointed RUPMs are John Holder (Americas and Europe), Arani Jayaprakash (Asia, including Bangladesh and India), Peter Manuel (Asia, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka), Ian Robinson (Africa), Bob Stratford (Pacific).
†The CEC agreed to further trials in four more series (to be determined) with a full report to be made to the ICC Cricket Committee in May 2009.
