Testing times for umpires

– Umpiring cricket matches has become increasingly difficult because of the technology now monitoring play, according to former top match official Simon Taufel.

With dozens of cameras and other technology ready to expose mistakes, the pressure is on the officials who make the crucial calls, said the 48-year-old Australian.

“It can be extremely challenging obviously, if it would be easy everyone would be doing it. It’s all about learning through mistakes,” Taufel (above) said.

Players can challenge umpires’ calls using the Decision Review System, which employs slow-motion replays, ball-tracking technology, audio sensors – the snickometer – and even heat-sensing, known as Hot Spot, to check whether the ball hit the bat.

Cricket’s embrace of technology has been echoed by other sports including tennis, rugby and football, where match officials have also found themselves under growing scrutiny.

“When you compete with those 30-odd cameras, the ball-tracker, Snicko, Hot Spot, the three experts in the commentary position, there are times when you don’t deliver perfection,” said Taufel, who stood in his first Test when he was only 29.

“But that’s part of life. Roger Federer loses the odd match, Tiger Woods misses the odd fairway, these things do happen but if you have paid the price you might as well get the learning and benefit out of it.”

Known for his accuracy and extreme fitness, Taufel maintained immense respect from players up to his retirement from the international game in 2012.

He was named umpire of the year for five straight seasons between 2004 to 2008 by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Taufel become an umpire performance and training manager with the ICC at the age of 41 and has recently authored a book, “Finding the Gaps”.

“I ask people to focus on the process, don’t go for the outcome other people are looking for. People are going to judge you anyway, so give them “you”,” he said.

Taufel made headlines after the World Cup final in July, when he pointed out that England should have been awarded five runs and not six from a freak deflection in their last regulation over – an umpiring mistake which otherwise went unnoticed.

The hosts went on to win by the barest of margins, on overall boundaries scored, –

New Delhi