IN A cricket match, we have often seen the dreaded index finger of an umpire, which is most feared by batsmen. But, the sight of the finger is loved by bowlers when it goes their way. Umpires play a very important role in deciding the fate of the match. Cricketers love those umpires whose errors during the game are minimal. But, these errors are anyways part and parcel of the game.

Their wrong decisions can make a team unhappy, as was the case with MS Dhoni’s men, when India played against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI series. It was a unique but weird error as umpires failed to spot that Lasith Malinga had only bowled 5 balls in the 30th over of the game at Adelaide Oval. Simon Fry and Nigel Llong were the on field umpires during the game. As if this was not enough, the Indians were once again at the receiving end of an umpiring error in the 7th ODI against Australia in the ongoing tri-series. Michael Hussey was declared stumped by the third umpire during the game, but was later called back by the on field umpires stating that the TV umpire had pressed the wrong button. How does an umpire press the wrong button? It is sheer lack of concentration.

There have been many instances when top world class umpires have committed major blunders, changing the game on its head. Sachin Tendulkar has been very unlucky in this count all over the world. In a Test match in 2007 against England at Trentbridge, he was wrongly adjudged out by Simon Taufel, who later apologised for it. In 2002, he was given out LBW three times by Ashoka De Silva, which was all wrong in the same tour. Ashwell Prince had been wrongly adjudged out by Daryl Harper in 2010 at Cape Town. He was given caught behind, when the ball missed the bat by a foot. The same error had been committed by Harper in 2003 at Kandy, where S. Jayasuria was at the receiving end, reported Hindustan Times.

One of the best umpires of the game, Steve Bucknor was removed as an umpire in one of the India- Australia series after committing several howlers. In the 2011 world Cup too, Harper was very bad in his umpiring decisions, hence he was dropped from the list of umpires to officiate after the group stages. So, with these kinds of umpiring decisions, the ICC has always been on the lookout for technologies, which would reduce umpiring errors. Though, their technologies have come in for criticism, lately being of the UDRS system by India. Still, it is a positive step to make the gentleman’s game a fair one and error free.