Being an umpire is quite respectable, even celebrity players call you ‘sir’!
With Sachin Tendulakar set to play his 200th and last test in Wankhede, the cricket fever is high in the nation. It is a contagious feeling when you see thousands and lakhs of cricket fans swarming to the stadium. Not only the game, but the commentary, the umpiring and synced noised contributes to the whole frenzy.
Watching the game undoubtedly has its own effect, but being a part of it in the field is priceless. You don’t need to lose heart if you are not a good batsman or baller. We will tell you how to be a part of it on the field.
And what would be better than being an umpire in the game? (Remeber David Shephered?)
We all know that an umpire has the authority to make decisions on the cricket field, according to the laws of cricket. Besides making decisions about the legality of delivery, appeals for wickets and general conduct of the game, the umpire also keeps a record of the deliveries and announces the completion of an over.
During a game, it is the umpire at the bowler’s end who makes the decisions.
The work is simple yet difficult. You must know all the laws of the cricket by heart. Also, you need to be standing in the field with other players during the game which needs bodily strength. A good eye-sight and a good decision-making ability is must.
Other than that, you need to be skilled in understanding the pitch and must have lots of patience.
In national matches, umpires get a fixed amount of around Rs10,000 per match while in local and corporate matches the money is relatively lower – about Rs800 a day.
You have to qualify the theory and practical exams conducted from time to time by state sports bodies. You then become eligible for the exams conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at two levels – one and two.
After clearing the second level, you make it to the BCCI panel and can umpire at the highest level. After your case is endorsed by the BCCI for the International Cricket Council (ICC), you can join the race to be an international umpire.
But until you pass these exams, you must grab whatever opportunity comes your way to umpire – corporate match, domestic or club level
There is no institute that trains someone for umpiring. The BCCI conducts classes before the umpire’s exam. Once nominated by your state to the BCCI, you can attend these classes.
It is quite a respectable job. Even celebrity players address you as ‘sir’! The profession sure can earn you name and fame.
So grab the opportunity and be a part of the game.
*next in the series will be about Sports Commentator
