Why is Bowden allowed to umpire?

[Sir Redman]

Incidentally, WRT New Zealand Umpires... where on Earth does this reputation come from? Does it all date from this series?
I've always considered Doug Cowie a perfectly decent Umpire, and had few complaints about Evan Watkin or Tony Hill in 2001\02. Dave Quested was perfectly OK, too.

When I was growing up, I always wondered why NZ umpires were never rated highly. I don't remember watching any series where they have made a number of biased decisions, and if anything I noticed that they would almost be biased towards the away team - e.g often when NZ had a good partnership going they would give a shocking lbw decision.

It could be the old attitude in the cricket world of ignoring any NZ accomplishments and just focusing on the "big boys". Throughout the nineties Darrell Hair was the most biased umpire I'd ever seen, yet he was always rated very highly.

I don't particularly like Doug Cowie, but I don't have many problems with those other umpires.Gary Baxter, however looks woeful so far.

 

[Richard]

Throughout the nineties Darrell Hair was the most biased umpire I'd ever seen, yet he was always rated very highly.

He was?
I must confess it's not something I've ever noticed.
Of course you'd be hard-pressed to miss the fact that the Asian teams find he's got something against them... but you think he was also biased towards Australia?

 

[Sir Redman]

He was?
I must confess it's not something I've ever noticed.
Of course you'd be hard-pressed to miss the fact that the Asian teams find he's got something against them... but you think he was also biased towards Australia?

I'm not sure about the anti-Asian teams thing, I just always thought that he was biased towards Australia.

 

[Richard]

Really?
All the Asian teams have little doubt Hair has something against them.
I, personally, can't make my mind up about that.

 

[Tim]

Steve Dunne was excellent, although he did lose the plot a little in the last few years before he retired.

 

[Sir Redman]

Really?
All the Asian teams have little doubt Hair has something against them.
I, personally, can't make my mind up about that.

Well, I guess that if Australia is playing India and Hair gives a few shockers in favour of Australia then the Indians will think he's got something against them. So its the same thing I suppose.

 

[Richard]

Thing is, it's not just been when playing Australia (indeed, since 2002, Hair has been debarred from officiating in Australia Tests). For instance (and these are only a couple of for instances) Pakistan were very aggrieved at his handling of their bowlers' apparent "running on the pitch" first in WI, then at home to England.
And it's not just been basic decisions - it's been things like running-on-the-pitch, calling Murali, constantly expressing suspicion over actions (of subcontinental bowlers only - I can't think of any non-subcontinental bowler who's had his action questioned by Hair), labelling Murali's action "diabolical" in his book (while still on the ICC Panel), the like.

 

[_Ed_]

Steve Dunne was excellent, although he did lose the plot a little in the last few years before he retired.

Very true, I think he was one of the best in the late 90s...but left his retirement a year or two too late.

 

[33/3from3.3]

You try umpiring Francis
sometimes i do it for my team on saturday infont of 5-6 people
but amagine Bowden at the SCG infront of 50-60ish000 people
and besides he's a great
Peter Parker = crap umpire

 

[Richard]

Very true, I think he was one of the best in the late 90s...but left his retirement a year or two too late.

He always seemed highly regarded whenever I heard of him... but the only 2 games I ever saw him in he had 2 shockers!
(Trent Bridge 1998 and Basin Reserve 2001\02)

 

[Francis]

You try umpiring Francis
sometimes i do it for my team on saturday infont of 5-6 people
but amagine Bowden at the SCG infront of 50-60ish000 people
and besides he's a great
Peter Parker = crap umpire

Firstly I don't know who Peter Parker is - which is probably a sign he's doing a good job at umpiring. Secondly, I made sure to acknowledge in my first post that all umpires make mistakes... Bowden makes too many though.

 

[Steulen]

For all of you who moan about standard of umpiring...take this test first.

Pretty difficult job

 

[Richard]

That's a pretty good thingy for an amateur association...
Maybe ICC could come-up with something even more difficult and more realistic, just to make the point that Umpiring may look simple when your watching on television but is anything but in the middle.

 

[open365]

^erm..make the point that it's harder in real life by making a simulation on a screen?

 

[Richard]

That sure is harder than watching the stuff on television.

 

[silentstriker]

Thats hard as hell.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Got 24 out of 30. Messed up the first one pretty badly, but the rest were easy enough.

Fun little idea.

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

29 outta 30 - missed out one on the second or third one (may have even been 4th) where I got the 'hit batsman outside line of offstump' wrong.

 

[kvemuri]

I'm not sure about the anti-Asian teams thing, I just always thought that he was biased towards Australia.

From what i saw of Darrell Hair in 90s, I gotta agree with the above comment, i used to think him to be a biased ump.

 

[Jono]

Francis was right all along.