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    ICC - wake up and smell the exhaustion

    By Will 7 months ago Leave a comment on this post

    Cricket is in dangerous and unknown territory at the moment, what with all these players semi-retiring and playing in the Indian Premier League. The most worrying member of them all, I think, is the umpire Simon Taufel. He said today that he’s not sure if he’ll renew his contract when it expires on March 31, and no doubt will be offered a lucrative deal by the IPL. Why wouldn’t he accept it?

    This guy is 37 years old. He has a young family, true, but is at the top of his profession and (you would think) handsomely rewarded by his paymasters, the ICC. But is he really? Umpires have an exhausting time of it, hopping from one hotel, one ground, one country to another, month after month. They are well paid for their jobs, but it says rather a lot that one of the youngest umpires on the international circuit is considering jacking it all in.

    There is too much cricket being played, and neither the players or officials (hell - even the media have their limits, too…) can perform to their optimum. Maybe it’s a good thing, this IPL nonsense; maybe it’ll prompt the ICC into realising how they’re killing the game with the sheer quantity being played.

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    11 Responses to “ICC - wake up and smell the exhaustion”

  • Biplob Kishore Deb wrote:
    February 11th, 2008 at 10.08 pm

    I think, ICC has made a big mistake by allowing BCCI to hold IPL. ICC will realize later that they cut their own legs. I think, IPL has nothing but money for the cricketers and cricket. I think, the conventional system of cricket might be changed with the advent of IPL. I agree with you on what you mentioned about Simon Taufel. He is one of the best umpires in the cricket world today. So, if a less qualified umpire bags the handsome offer of BCCI then why he would not go for it being one of the best.

    To tell the truth, Cricket is facing a huge threat at the moment. There are lots of cricket being played throughout the year without any specific plan. Players like, Marcus Trescothik, Shaun Tait failed to make ICC understand that what is going on in the cricket world with so many tours series. Anyway, I think, either ICC will be badly affected by IPL or in other way, IPL will be stopped. I hope, ICC will look to the matter seriously for the wellbeing cricket.

  • Marcus wrote:
    February 11th, 2008 at 11.33 pm

    Now the head of Channell Ten (the Australian broadcaster televising the matches) says that eventually the ICC will clear their schedules so the best players can be fit and available for the IPL. I guess the world stops for Channell Ten, right?

  • Gana wrote:
    February 11th, 2008 at 11.45 pm

    IPL nonsense. Isn’t that condescending ? I also don’t like IPL but surely if this was done by Aus or Eng you would have been the first person to defend it I guess.
    Anyway, it is really tragic that Taufell is considering quitting. May be he should. At least then ICC can get some incompetent umpires out there so that more technology can be bought to the game to correct umpiring decision.

  • percy wrote:
    February 12th, 2008 at 12.17 am

    nonsense it isn’t - threatening the whole structure of international cricket it is. Gilchrist, Fleming, Pollock have basically all retired early to take the money, Taufel looks set to be next. Lara, Inzy, Bond have already left for the ICL. The worst fact is that the rest of the boards are supporting the IPL regardless of the fact that it is complete conflict with the rest of world cricket. They have decided to lie down and surrender to Lalit Modi despite the impact. The ICC are supposed to be defending the world game - they should have made sure that this event happens within the Indian season, not destroying the English and West Indian seasons.

  • india_fan wrote:
    February 12th, 2008 at 8.53 am

    The players should be allowed to play for the IPL/ICL for 6 weeks a year. This might then free up money for the cricket boards who won’t have to pay large central contracts to players.

    Shane Bond, for example, needs to take care of his own future and to ban him from selection is a joke. The rest of the year is still free for him to play cricket and he probably will, so why not for NZ?

    It seems that the boards seem to care more about making money for themselves.

  • raxar wrote:
    February 12th, 2008 at 8.58 am

    I don’t think the players are overtired… I think they’re just tired of not earning what they’re worth. If the ICC were prepared to pay IPL salaries, this wouldn’t be an issue.

  • Yobbo wrote:
    February 12th, 2008 at 6.16 pm

    “Anyway, it is really tragic that Taufell is considering quitting. May be he should.”

    Maybe? It should be perfectly clear to any umpire that the interests of the asian countries could get you sacked at any time you make a decision against the asian side.

    See: Darryl Hair, Steve Bucknor.

    Only a moron would stay with the ICC if they had an offer from someone else.

    The ICC reaps what it sows. And in the last few years it’s been sowing shitseeds.

  • Will wrote:
    February 12th, 2008 at 6.31 pm

    Gana, this has nothing to do with race, creed or nationality. I was condescending about it because it is highly dangerous to have one country (India) run the game. I would hold exactly the same opinion if it was England, Australia, Pakistan or whoever with the money. When one member (India) holds more power than the board (ICC) as a whole, the game’s future cannot be assured.

    Raxar, no. The human body and mind has its limits! You can’t pay them footballers’ salaries and expect them to perform at their optimum day in day out.

    Yobbo, you’re partially right. But what do the ICC do? They have effectively been overturned by one of their own - and there are other members/countries who are more likely to listen to India than the other board members. So…what should be done?

  • india_fan wrote:
    February 12th, 2008 at 10.10 pm

    I wonder if we’ll see a movement towards squad-based cricket, including tests, as a way of resting players. I believe that that is where we’re heading. However, only Australia have the strength in depth to pull this off so I can only see test cricket decreasing in quality over the short-term.

  • Steave wrote:
    February 14th, 2008 at 5.56 pm

    There was a time when we used to wait eagerly for cricket match. Now a days we are unable to follow who is playing with whom. There is so much of cricket everyday that its getting bored now. ICC should take care of this.

  • Adam wrote:
    April 26th, 2008 at 2.31 pm

    Anyone got any idea what pay the umpires are receiving for this tournament?

    Cheers from Oz

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