The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) conducted a level-2 exam for umpires in Ahmedabad last month. Clearing the test would make them eligible to officiate Group D matches – women’s and junior matches – which is also the first step towards becoming an Elite BCCI umpire and standing in international games.
To qualify, a candidate needed to score a minimum of 90 marks out of 200 (100 for the written test, 35 for viva and video, and 30 for the physical). The physical test was included for the first time since the pandemic, keeping in mind the increasing physical demands of umpiring, while the video test included questions that were situation specific.
As reported by the Indian Express, most of the candidates did well in the practical but when it came to the written test, they probably had one of the biggest nightmares of their lives. Out of 140 aspirants, only 3 could pass the test and make it to the next level.
If the number of passed candidates left you surprised then you must have a look at some of the tricky questions that dashed the hopes of the rest of the 137 candidates:
- What will you do if the shadow of a pavilion, tree, or fielder starts falling on the pitch and the batsman complains?
Answer: The shadow should be disregarded and the fielders should be asked to remain stationary or else the umpire should call a dead ball.
- You are satisfied that a player has a genuine injury on the index finger of his bowling hand and removing the tape will result in bleeding. Will you still ask him to remove the protective tape while bowling?
Answer: If the bowler wants to bowl, he has to remove the tape.
- The striker hits a fair delivery, which lodges in the helmet of the short-leg fielder. Because of the impact, the helmet comes off the fielder’s head and the ball is still stuck in the helmet. The helmet falls…and the fielder catches it before it falls to the ground. On appeal, what is your decision?
Answer: It’s not out.
The report further stated that the purpose of putting such questions was to test a candidate’s practical reasoning rather than theoretical knowledge. It wasn’t just about knowing the laws and bylaws of the game but also about interpretation and implementation in a live-game situation.
“Umpiring is a tough job. Only those who have the passion for it can really excel. The candidates sent by state associations weren’t up to the mark. They need to have this knowledge if they want to do the board’s games," a BCCI official was quoted as saying.
Umpiring howlers, especially by the Indian officials, have been one of the biggest concerns in the tournaments like Indian Premier League (IPL). Every season, the league witnesses an incident when controversy erupts following a wrong decision.
Speaking of the same, former BCCI game development manager Ratnakar Shetty opined that a system has to be in place to take care of such things.
“BCCI must restart educational programmes for budding umpires in each state association. In 2006, the BCCI had identified a group of retired first-class umpires and trained them to be educators. We used to depute two educators to each state unit, other than Mumbai, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu where regular umpire coaching happens," Shetty was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
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