Aurangzeb Khan’s impressions of umpiring shared with Lankans
View(s):Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires Association (SLCUA) invited Aurangzeb Khan, an internationally qualified umpiring trainer and a council member of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), originating from Pakistan. Khan conducted a day’s workshop to a group of selected SLCUA members at the Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club last week.
Aurangzeb Khan (standing) stressing a point at the workshop. Also in the picture are (from left) SLCUA officials J.W.K. Boteju, D.N. Pathirana, Ashroff Ghani and E.K.G. Wijewardana
During his workshop Khan stressed out the finer points in professional cricket umpiring, with his vast knowledge of over four decades as first class umpire in Pakistan and England. Khan, who travels around the world conducting training programmes and workshops for umpires, spent nearly four hours while on a private visit to Sri Lanka to impart his expertise to the next generation of Lankan umpires.
During his brief workshop to the SLCUA members Khan stressed on the importance of personal and physical fitness besides the technical abilities of practicing umpires. He went on to say that umpires should at all times demonstrate justified and acceptable professional behaviour in and off the field at all times.
“Good eyesight, hearing ability and the endurance to stand for long periods of time and acute concentration and anticipation, a must for umpires. Umpires, at all times should refrain from making any comment in favour or against a player, team or official expect for being upright, bold and straight-forward in their reporting duties specified playing conditions and adjudications with the laws of cricket. Such umpires are highly regarded and respected by all in the game irrespective of their belongings,” he said. Khan further advised the SLCUA umpires to be very cautious of
Khan (seated center) with some of the participants
their reputation and earn the status ‘nonpere’, the motto of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers (ACUS), an affiliate of England and Wales’ Cricket Board.
“The word stands for peerless or men above all. It’s the credo of ACUS, where I’m also a member for a long time. It means that umpires should be impartial and extent of refusing, but politely an appointment of a match in which there is a likelihood or a chance of an allegation of partiality. Such umpires are highly respected by all,” he explained of a common occurrence in Sri Lanka.
Khan was invited to conduct a workshop during his private visit by SLCUA president Ashroff Ghany and his committee comprising of veteran umpires D.N. Pathirana, J.W.K. Boteju and E.K.G. Wijewardena. Ghani explaining on the progress made by the SLCUA, expressed his delight on the achievements but spelt out his disappointment on the dominance at school cricket, which is big in Sri Lanka.
“It’s become a monopoly of a certain faction. We have even brought this to the notice of the Minister of Sports and he has promised us a fair verdict. With the amount of cricket that is being played around in Sri Lanka at different levels, our view is that umpiring should be open and brought under the control of a main body,” stressed Ghani while expressing his gratitude to Khan, who is also a cricket writer and columnist at famous publications such as The Dawn and The Cricketer. – NA