Beyond the Boundary
Should a Gentleman Always Wear a Hat?
During my happy (and mischievous) eight years of writing
on every topical issue for every magazine issue, there have
been occasions when those of a curmudgeonly nature might
have been able to question: 'Well, what's that to do with
us?', and though I continue to insist that every element of
umpiring at the highest levels will, eventually and always,
permeate down to us 'recreationalistas', this is definitely
one subject that already should...wearing a helmet.
This year's Australian 'Big Bash' T20 competition between
the eight top teams, which opened at the end of December
and finished on Australia Day weekend (24 January), is the
very first ICC world contest where some umpires have
chosen to wear a 'lid'. Yes, 'some', and very interestingly, not
always as a pair – which usefully highlights the uncertainties
and doubts that they did have and we would have.
First view is that it is as confusing as the Mad Hatter's Tea
Party, where Alice, on entering the garden, sees everyone she
recognises doing things they wouldn't normally do! So, let us
start with the words 'some umpires have chosen' – and the
question 'why?’ But, for the debate, we will keep it to one
pair in one match, with one wearing and one not.
To start, what questions might you ask your partner?
Remember you both will be 'facing' at different ends, you will
have pace and spin at both ends, 11 batsmen are going to
populate each end carrying railway sleepers to flay the ball
to the boundary – fearsome straight drives to you as well as
savage square-leg pulls to you, so you cannot hide. Is
anywhere here safe? More pertinent, is everywhere
dangerous? Is it that your mate maybe isn't quick enough on
his ageing pins to get out of the road, or maybe cannot
clearly read the sponsor's name on the batsman's shirt 22
yards away, so won't see the ball until it is too late?
If it is because of personal doubt, then it must become a
'badge of ailment' that advertises you negatively by the
wearing. Think a minute now, privately to yourself...would you
wear one, and why? Believe me, most of you will come to
one of these two reasons.
Very reasonably, there are concerns and even more
questions. Our own Chris Kelly (ECB's Umpires' Manager)
has just written for the current issue of The Cricketer, and
much of his querying assessment is more to do with what
you will and maybe won't see, rather than on the actual
choice of wearing or not. To use his own words: ‘One of the
issues in wearing a batsman's helmet is th