LATE LAST MONTH, Steve Bucknor admitted that giving Sachin Tendulkar out LBW in the 2003 Brisbane Test was a mistake. The ball from Jason Gillespie was too high, but Bucknor lifted his finger. Tendulkar was shocked but, true to his nature, walked off.
That decision, said the Jamaican umpire, now 79, had hounded him his entire career. More than two decades—that’s how long a decision can follow you as an international umpire. Especially if a superstar is at the receiving end.
Nitin Menon would know. Though not quite of Bucknor’s vintage, the former batter from Indore has had to deal with a few superstars himself. “In that series (India-England Test series, 2020), a very big player wanted to get inside my head, provoke me or dominate me,” said Menon. “But in the earlier Tests, I had made it clear—not by talking to him, but by doing my job—that if he created any nuisance, I would take action as per the law.”
Menon was in conversation with THE WEEK’s consultant, sports, Ayaz Memon, for the second episode of CEAT Beyond The Scoreboard—a podcast series in which THE WEEK, in association with CEAT, peels back the curtain on India’s favourite sport.
The hour-long conversation covered several topics, including how his father (himself an umpire) nudged him into the job, the step-by-step process of becoming elite in the field, his take on technology in the sport and the preparation that goes into every match.
Memon began by asking the simple question: how does one become an umpire? “Every state in India has a panel of umpires, [which] you have to get into first,” said Menon. “They will conduct exams—written and practical… and the threshold is quite high. It is at least 90 per cent [to pass].”
The questions are based on the MCC law book, and there are exams at every level—state, BCCI and ICC. The ultimate level is the elite panel, which Menon has been part of for more than five years.
And at that level, you have to know how to stand your ground. Like the conversation with the superstar Menon mentioned earlier. A moment like that can earn the umpire respect, too. “At the end of that India-England series, which was played during Covid, one big player from the Indian team came up to me and said it was one of the best umpiring [stints] he had seen in Indian conditions.”
But standing your ground also takes a toll on the body. And that is where physical fitness comes in. They might not need the physique of the tall fast bowler steaming in behind them, but the men and women in wide-brimmed hats need to be fit enough to stand on a spot for hours. Try it, it’s hard.
Add to that the three formats, and the strain increases. Asked which format he prefers, Menon had no doubt. “Nothing beats Test cricket,” he said. “It tests the skill of not only the players, but also the umpires. The weather conditions change, pitch conditions change. So, different skill sets are involved. Plus, it tests our consistency. You get appeals throughout the match. In a T20 game, I might not even get an appeal because it’s just thrashing. We might focus more on wides and no balls. Nowadays, batters play all sorts of funny shots and move around the crease a lot.”
There are challenges on the field, of course, but some come from the heavens, too. For all the progress in technology, cricket is still at the mercy of the weather, which brings its own unique challenges. Asked about how to deal with changing conditions, and about fan outrage at the stoppage of play due to bad light or rain, Menon said, “For us, the safety of the player is paramount. Sometimes it doesn’t go down well with the viewers or the broadcast [team], but it’s about striking a balance.”
This prompted Memon to ask about the equipment umpires use, especially the light meter. “They are not standardised. Those readings are applicable for only that Test match,” said Menon. “For example, Chennai is a closed stadium, so we get a [particular] reading. But if it’s a match in Wellington, which is an open ground, we might get more light there.”
Another prickly topic with some umpires is the introduction of the decision review system. The once unquestioned air of authority has now vanished; players can challenge the call, and the umpire’s mistakes are being shown live to millions across the world.
Menon, though, is for it. “I personally feel DRS is very good for the game. One wrong decision from us can be very damaging to the game. We have the best technology available, so why not use it? I don’t agree with the [notion] that the umpire’s role is being diminished because, ultimately, the decision has to be given first [for it to be reviewed].”
Technology also means that the authorities have clear data on who is a good umpire. Every decision an umpire makes, right or wrong, is marked against their name and tracked; at the end of the season, you know who has been great or poor with their calls.
DRS properly came into effect in 2009, months after Bucknor retired.