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DRS has improved umpiring

kriralok desk:

Former international umpire, Steve Bucknor, reinforced the importance of technology (DRS) and the evolution of it over the years which has done more good than not for the sport. In his opinion, umpires better themselves via the use of technology and urges the ones against the use of it to “have a rethink”.

“I am not certain if it affects the confidence of umpires, but I know it has improved umpiring,” Bucknor said on the Mason and Guests radio programme in Barbados. “It has improved umpiring because there was a time when we were saying the batsman was so-called playing down the line, therefore he is not going to be given out leg before, but if the technology is saying the ball is hitting, then you have to give him out. So, we learn from technology.

“The umpires who do not enjoy having technology around, I hope that they have a rethink. What it does if you make a mistake it can be corrected on the field. Now thinking about when I was umpiring and I gave a batsman out who was not out, realizing I made a mistake it took a long time to fall asleep that night. Now you can fall asleep quickly because the correct decision is eventually given.”

Bucknor had infamously adjudged Sachin Tendulkar out on two occasions wrongly that have been etched in the minds of spectators ever since – ones that Bucknor regrets in hindsight, even after 11 years of retirement. At the Gabba in 2003, Tendulkar was adjudged leg-before to a delivery off Jason Gillespie that was going over the wickets. That, after India had made a slow start being reduced to 62/2. And in 2005 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against Pakistan, he was given out to an Abdul Razzaq delivery that Bucknor thought he had edged, but hadn’t. It was Bucknor’s 100th Test.

“Tendulkar was given out on two different occasions when those were mistakes. I do not think any umpire would want to do the wrong thing. It lives with him and his future could be jeopardised,” he said. “To err is human. Once in Australia, I gave him out leg before wicket and the ball was going over the top. Another time, in India it was caught behind. The ball deviated after passing the bat but there was no touch. But the match was at Eden Gardens and when you are at the Eden and India is batting, you hear nothing.

“Because 100,000 spectators are making noise. Those were the mistakes and I was unhappy. I am saying a human is going to make mistakes and accepting mistakes are part of life,” he added.

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