An Indian Dream: Umpiring On Tour
I had never travelled on an international team bus before. So I was fascinated to see how different countries ran a check to make sure everyone was there. The Indian team had individual numbers and the umpires, when we travelled with them, soon learned we were number 21. The Australians left little to such sophistication!
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India( CABI) had organised the second T20 World Cup for the Blind to be played across 13 Indian cities, during the first two weeks in February 2017. They asked the ECB to send an umpire to assist, and I had the unique honour and privilege of being asked to go.
Ten countries – the Test playing nations, plus Nepal – all sent a team and I travelled out with England a few days before the start of the competition. From my time in the domestic visually impaired( VI) leagues, and umpiring visiting international teams, I knew the England players and most of their support team. But this did not prepare me for the complexity of getting a squad of visually impaired players, five of whom had no sight at all, plus their luggage, through airports and onto / off coaches etc.
I have visited India, both on business and as a tourist, a number of times. So the unique challenges the country can offer, when you are trying to move around, were not a surprise to me. Delayed flights, cars mysteriously late, buses that are always‘ just 10 minutes away’, the time it takes to travel a few kilometres in some of the city centres. These were daily challenges this trip. This can be frustrating, but it is much more than compensated for by the vibrancy, colours and people to be seen and enjoyed.
There are( I am told) 50,000 blind cricketers in India. But CABI is a charity, not funded by the Indian government or the cricket authorities. Their dream is to ensure that every visually impaired person in the country has the chance to play cricket. For this they need more funds. One reason for spreading the competition across the country was to promote it in new areas, to new sponsors, and to show the state and national governments that the game has a real footing that deserves to be supported.
During the two weeks I travelled to and between Delhi, Faridabad, Mumbai, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, Bangalore and Hyderabad. I umpired India vs West Indies / Pakistan / Australia / New Zealand / Sri Lanka;
Pakistan vs New Zealand / Sri Lanka; and South Africa vs New Zealand / Sri Lanka. My earliest start time was 03:00 from the hotel, my latest arrival at a hotel was 02:00! Days were usually umpire and travel late, or the other way round, but we did get the odd day off here and there to be fair.
Two games, India vs England and the final, attracted crowds in excess of 15,000. Other games regularly had 2000 +. Many of the major Test grounds in India were used – umpiring India vs Pakistan at the second oldest Test ground, the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground in Delhi, live on TV, was a special day for me. This was a round robin match that Pakistan won.
Other provincial grounds were just fun to experience. I have never had my picture taken with so many people, nor been asked to sign autographs! Kids everywhere, just enjoying the game. Airport arrivals with the Indian team were special. Fans cheering, a media scrum to be got through, garlands and blessings, prayers, noise and colour. Many of the games were televised, often just within the state, although some major games and the semis and final were more widely broadcast. Visiting teams were being covered by their own media.
Compared to international games in the UK, where there might be a hundred or two present, this all provided new challenges. Drummers, buglers, and all the razzmatazz you expect in India, meant the umpires had to find a way to control the crowd, as too much noise prevents the players from hearing the ball! Then there were the speeches. Visiting politicians saying their bit, often whilst the game was going on. Me trying to shut up the State Minister of Faridabad had the potential to be a diplomatic incident, but in my defence no one told me it was him speaking!
If you think these games are low scoring, there were multiple matches where one side made more than 300. One double century was scored, by a Nepalese player.
England finished fourth in the round robin but lost to Pakistan in their semi-final. India beat Sri Lanka in the other semi. So the two strongest teams who finished first and second in the round robin made it to the final, which India won, chasing down 198 with a couple of overs to spare.
There were four international umpires – a Kiwi, an Aussie, a Sri Lankan and myself. We worked together and with a number of Indian umpires who had various amounts of VI experience. Our collective view was that, despite the travel and its challenges, the lack of sleep and need to be flexible, as plans changed daily, we had all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Standing between two teams as their anthems are played and feeling their passion. Watching close up as the Kiwi team performed the haka – and trying to explain to the Indian TV guys what was going on. Seeing, first hand, the emotion and joy of teams winning in their big games. Equally, watching them cope well with loss. Witnessing players achieve their own personal goals. These are all special moments and some of the reasons why we are officials.
Was it competitive? Yes, of course it was. These players are representing their country with all that entails. Defeat hurt. But, and this is the key issue with the VI game, throughout the event, irrespective of how important the game was, or the current state of play, there was always camaraderie between the teams. Always‘ a hand’ to help. Both teams and the officials would often share a coach to and from the venue, and these were often joyous, with music being shared and impromptu dance competitions. Put simply, people coming together through cricket, to enjoy sport and life, and to together overcome their personal challenges. The Spirit of Cricket was to the fore, as it should be, but it extended well beyond the field of play.
Les Clemenson South West region
Imagine – the next time it could be you!
When we are asked to send an umpire to these VI competitions, we select from the best umpires in the domestic VI game. There are complex playing regulations that apply and umpires need to know how to cope with a field full of visually impaired cricketers who are moving as fast, and playing as hard, as any sighted player.
The only way to learn is to join the domestic VI panel. Who knows, it may be you at the next World Cup having the experience and writing the article!
Contact Bob Southward( info @ ravenglade. co. uk) to find out more.
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