Umpiring is one task in cricket which is least spoken. Many of us know them but we don’t know the journey behind them. This is a detailed structure of procedures one has to clear for standing as an Umpire in the cricket ground.
Introduction
The world of cricket is fascinating. There is attention for many roles in cricket right from players to the coaching staff. But umpires getting some attention is something which is unusual. They have attention only when they are in news for some making a wrong decision or for other reasons (like Billy Bowden who entertains with his comic style while umpiring). We see an umpire being mocked for taking up a wrong side but never ever anyone praised them for making a great decision happen.
Their job is one of the difficult jobs because they need to maintain their concentration levels and energy levels to make right decisions. Their vision and hearing abilities must be very sensitive to witness the right path of the ball. So becoming an umpire is one of the toughest journeys and the process by which umpires are recruited in cricket leave us very excited. So here is the journey for you.
How To Become An Umpire
Every organization or board which is part of ICC has its own set of rules. These rules are all very similar with few of them as an exception. India also has set some rules set by BCCI committee and every official league in India must follow these rules.
So the umpires must also possess some pre-requisites or skills to get accepted officially by the BCCI.
Skills Required By An Umpire
The basic skills required by an individual to become an umpire in India are:
- A candidate should know the Laws of cricket.
- A candidate should be able to take spontaneous Decision.
- A candidate must have an incisive understanding of the game.
The books are available in the market and one can have access to them.
The Process
The individual first needs to register for the respective state associations because it is they who carry forward these names to the BCCI. The registered candidates are expected to be enough efficient with the rules and there be no training in this particular aspect. It is the homework one has to do.
An individual needs to prove his/her worth by officiating in the local matches. The state association, if impressed, forwards your name to the higher authorities for the Level 1 Examination conducted once a year or once in two years, by BCCI.
The board also arranges basic teaching classes for 3 days before the examination to make them familiar with the process and the exam is held on the 4th day. The candidates shortlisted for this examination are made assemble together to conduct Induction courses where further doubts regarding the game are addressed. Some students are selected here who are called for Level 2 examination which is, generally, held a year later.
Those who get past with this are shortlisted for the Level 2 Examination, which is designed in three rounds as written, practical and viva. Those who clear this round are sent to the medical clearance around.
There is one more Induction course at the end and clearing this can make you as panel umpire officially in BCCI. The complete process of shortlisting is totally merit based.
Hence the performance of all the umpires is gauged and BCCI refers the consistently performing individuals to the elite panel of the ICC and it requires a lot of experience.
Salary Of An Umpire
The pay for Umpires varies with the type of the match. For a local match, an umpire is paid Rs.1200/ day and it is Rs. 15000 for the National level match. It generally ranges between $800-1200 for a One Day International cricket match. The payments of umpires in cash-rich leagues like IPL are whooping compared to the International games. While they usually receive $2500-2800 ( on average) per match (i.e. 1.75 Lakh rupees per match). Umpires in IPL must be members of ICC panel. Top umpires are given more chances and thus their skill has to speak to grab a number of opportunities.
Few Interesting Facts
- The umpire candidate need not be a professional cricketer to become an umpire but it helps him/her understand the game more if at all they have played the sport earlier.
- The umpires need to announce retirement officially like the players and they need to go through medical tests regularly to prove they are fit for the job.
- A retired umpire can join the panel of Match referees on their interest by passing the required tests.
Conclusion
Cricket is a game which holds a lot of attention in India and this craze bring out huge amounts in return to all the individuals who are part of the game. While there are many other roles in cricket apart from the players and coaching staff who doesn’t get that attention. So the role of an Umpire is very difficult and they struggle a lot in successfully conducting a match properly with the highest transparency as well as highest sportsmanship and maintain the reputation of the gentlemen’s game. So they deserve a lot of respect.
Do you wish to become an umpire? Well if yes, this article is just for you! We wish you good luck for your dreams to come true. So Are you an Ipl fan? This IPL quiz is really tough. Test your knowledge here. Do let us know about your score. Good luck!