Umpires ought to guarantee there are not any pointless breaks: Dickie Bird

Slow over-rates and frequent ball modifications have been the main speaking factors of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy to this point. Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja additionally drew flak for allegedly ignoring the umpire’s message to get on with the sport when he was having a drink between overs in the course of the third Test at Lord’s.

As a number of former cricketers, together with former England captain Michael Atherton, criticised the umpires for dropping their grip on the sport, legendary umpire Dickie Bird believes that it’s vital for the match officers to be sturdy and make sure that they’ve the final phrase on the sector.

“The spectators pay some huge cash to look at Test matches these days. Too many stoppages will not be good for Test cricket because it loses curiosity and that’s the place the umpires have to be sturdy and inform the gamers that they need to get going and such stoppages received’t be tolerated,” Bird informed The Hindu.

The 92-year-old, who has adopted the collection carefully, believes the DRS has diminished the authority of the umpires barely. “Now, I see they’re altering the ball now and again, and that routinely slows down the sport, however the umpires ought to ensure that they don’t permit pointless breaks because it kills the excitement,” he stated.

“In my time, I might jokingly inform the gamers, ‘come on, lads, get on with the sport, let’s not kill the (allure) of the sport.’ We would have giggle and I ensured that we had been again in motion as rapidly as doable,” Bird, who officiated in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, stated, including: “My period additionally had some nice characters, however we nonetheless acquired going with out (a lot bother).”