Umpires should ensure there are no unnecessary breaks: Dickie Bird

Slow over-rates and frequent ball changes have been the major talking points of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy so far. Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also drew flak for allegedly ignoring the umpire’s message to get on with the game when he was having a drink between overs during the third Test at Lord’s.

As several former cricketers, including former England captain Michael Atherton, criticised the umpires for losing their grip on the game, legendary umpire Dickie Bird believes that it’s important for the match officials to be strong and ensure that they have the last word on the field.

“The spectators pay a lot of money to watch Test matches nowadays. Too many stoppages is not good for Test cricket as it loses interest and that’s where the umpires need to be strong and tell the players that they should get going and such stoppages won’t be tolerated,” Bird told The Hindu.

The 92-year-old, who has followed the series closely, believes the DRS has diminished the authority of the umpires slightly. “Now, I see they are changing the ball every now and then, and that automatically slows down the game, but the umpires should make sure that they don’t allow unnecessary breaks as it kills the buzz,” he said.

“In my time, I would jokingly tell the players, ‘come on, lads, get on with the game, let’s not kill the (charm) of the game.’ We would have a good laugh and I ensured that we were back in action as quickly as possible,” Bird, who officiated in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, said, adding: “My era also had some great characters, but we still got going without (much trouble).”