Why do most umpires start their international career past the age of 40?
I am 54 and have had poor eyesight for ten years, but up until that fateful day of decline my eyes were great.
I’ve also found that with failing eyesight goes the ability to concentrate on something for long periods.
The two longest-serving umpires of all time were Steve Bucknor, who retired aged 63 after 128 Tests, having began his career as a Test umpire aged 43, and Rudi Koetzen, who also began at 43, officiated 108 Tests and retired aged 61.
The ICC currently has 12 umpires. The youngest is Richard Kettleborough who is 41 and began his international career aged 39. The oldest is Steve Davis at 62 who began his international aged 45.
Of the 12 umpires only four started their international before the age of 40. Among these are the likes of Bill Bowden, now aged 51, who began his international career aged 32 in ODIs but interestingly waited five years to be promoted to a Test umpire aged 37.
Also there is former Test cricketer Aleem Dar, now aged 46, who is the most capped at the moment with 89 Tests and also started aged 32.
Let’s look at Australian Paul Reiffel. Reiffel played 35 Tests for Australia between 1992-98 and had a batting and bowling average of 27. He retired from first-class cricket in 2002 aged 36.
He became a first-class cricket umpire in 2004 and two years ago, after an eight-year apprenticeship, became an international umpire. Having played at the highest level, I would naively assume that being fast tracked like Dar would be a sensible idea.
As I was watching umpire Marais Erasmus lately, I felt compelled to check his history. He began his international career four years ago and has now umpired 29 Tests. He is 50 years of age.
Eyesight is the most important asset a cricket umpire has, so why should they start their international careers when this commodity is failing?
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
I think you have to have umpired a lot of cricket to see the many bizarre things that can happen, and have the experience to apply the laws judiciously ; it must help to have some kind of peer support to discuss decisions, too. Even at test level an umpire might meet a situation that had not been encountered, e.g. somebody wants to use an aluminium bat, somebody appeals against a batsman who retrieves a ball and throws it to the bowler, the bails are off the stumps but nobody knows how they came off. I suppose the good news for ageing umps is that eyesight decline normally settles down by the mid-50s, according to my optometrist. Concentration may be related, but I've never understood why we couldn't have another umpire to fill in during first class and test matches. It is rare for a player to be on the field for an entire match, so I'm not sure why we expect it of the umpires.
michael steel
Guest
That's a fair call Neville and I guess I missed the boat by not including that one 45 your alertness and reaction times just aren't what they used to be.
Edison Marshall
Roar Pro
Yeah exactly, bloody tough gig
Neville
Guest
The eyesight issue is sorted by the use of contact lenses that are even used by some rugby players.
itsuckstobeyou
Roar Pro
It's a fair point. There's plenty of upside to older umpires though. How would a 25y.o. umpire handle the relentless chirp from, say, a Shane Warne? Would a younger bloke be more vulnerable to pressure from the slips or the media? If you put a 25y.o. me out in the middle, there is no way on earth I'm giving Mark Waugh out LBW. Put me out there today, I'd gladly give Watto out.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Simon Taufel is probably the poster boy for young umpires - he officiated his first test match at 29. But he's a bit of a freak, was a superb umpire and a very driven man. Can't expect everyone to measure up to that kind of diligence.
Camo McD
Roar Guru
I reckon most umpires, like Reiffel only really take to umpiring seriously after they finish playing themselves at first-class or club level. Richard Kettleborough played county cricket for example. I believe Billy Bowden has arthritis that stopped him playing at a young age so he was one of the few exceptions who started relatively young and made it to the top level.
Paul D
Roar Guru
No-one remembers/cares about the ones you get right either.
Edison Marshall
Roar Pro
It's a very difficult job, I think every kid grows up wanting to play not umpiring. Not to forget even if someone starts umpiring at 20 it's not like you can hit 100s and go up the levels in the space of 3 years. It's a job where you're judged on how many mistakes you make so it takes a lot of experience to go up the levels.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I assume it has something to do with their judgment and mental strength - but you're right, it does seem odd. Perhaps it takes them a while to adjust and learn their craft. It is a very difficult job!