Dickie Bird on slow over-rates during IND vs ENG: Umpires should not tolerate stoppages in play

Slow over-rates and frequent ball changes during the three Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy have put the umpires, and their inability to maintain the tempo of play, under the scanner.

Several former cricketers, including former England captain Michael Atherton, have criticised the umpires for losing their grip on the game.

India captain Shubman Gill and England opener Zak Crawley were involved in a heated exchange in the third Test at Lord’s. Ravindra Jadeja also drew flak for allegedly ignoring the umpire’s message to get on with the game when he was having a drink between overs.

Legendary umpire Dickie Bird now weighed in on the topic, stating that it’s important for the umpires to be assertive and ensure that they have the last word on the field.

“The spectators pay a lot of money to watch Test matches nowadays. Too many stoppages is not a good advertisement for Test cricket. That’s where the umpires need to be strong and tell the players such stoppages won’t be tolerated,” Bird told  Sportstar.

The 92-year-old, who has followed the series closely, felt the on-field umpires could have been more stern with the frequent requests for ball changes. At a time when technology – Decision Review System – has diminished the authority of the umpires slightly, it is important for them to ensure that they are taken seriously.

“Now, I see they are changing the ball every now and then, and that automatically slows down the game, but the umpires should make sure that they don’t allow unnecessary breaks as it kills the buzz,” he said.

“In my time, I would jokingly tell the players, ‘come on, lads, get on with the game, let’s not kill [the charm of] the game.’ We would have a good laugh and I ensured that we were back in action as quickly as possible,” Bird, who officiated in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, said.

Ajit Wadekar, coach of the Indian cricket team, and umpire Dickie Bird (R) snapped at Harare Sports Club before the start of the cricket Test match between India and Zimbabwe in 1992.
| Photo Credit:
V.V. Krishnan/The Hindu

Belonging to an era where many greats played the sport, a nostalgic Bird revealed that dealing with the biggest names of the sport wasn’t a challenge. “My era also had some great characters like Merv Hughes, Sachin Tendulkar and several others, who were stars. We had the best years, but we still got going without (much trouble),” he added.

In a five-day Test, 90 overs are scheduled for each day. As per the rules, to prevent teams tactically wasting time to ensure a draw, all of the overs must be bowled on the fifth day, weather permitting. The ICC has also introduced penalties for slow over-rates. England was docked two points in the World Test Championship and fined 10 per cent of its match fee for a slow over-rate at Lord’s.