Cricket: The finger gets the nod

By RICHARD BOOCK

Billy Bowden reckons it's time for his international umpiring colleagues to lose the nodding fad and to revert to the old-fashioned method of raising the finger.

New Zealand's first appointment on the International Cricket Council's elite umpiring panel returned home this week from duties in Bangladesh, where he stood in two tests and three one-day internationals.

He touched down only a couple of days before an unsavoury, on-field slanging match between the West Indies and Australia in the fourth test at St John's, where umpire David Shepherd had to separate rival captains Steve Waugh and Brian Lara.

The controversy erupted on the second day after West Indian opener Devon Smith evidently missed umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan's nod that he was out, dallied and ended up getting a large send-off.

The practice of umpires nodding instead of raising the finger has increased over the past 18 months, to the extent that Waugh last summer allegedly told team-mates not to walk until the signal had been given.

Bowden said that in this day and age, umpires had to make sure they were as clear as possible with their decisions, which meant it was not worth resorting to short-cuts or adding an extra complication.

"I've never seen an umpire nod to uphold a leg-before appeal, so why should we do it for a caught behind?" he asked yesterday.

"It says in the laws that we've got to raise the index finger to signal a dismissal, and I think if we all got back to doing that, there would be less friction and confusion."

The 40-year-old Auckland official, who impressed so much during the World Cup that he was soon added to the ICC's 11-man elite panel, said it was pointless to pretend that the players were all good guys who had the game's best interests at heart.

If anything, he believed there was a need for umpires to be more straight-forward in their communications because it was obvious that most players were capable of "thinking only of themselves".

"You cannot trust the players," Bowden said. "In fact, you have to treat them all as if they're cheats. They're not of course - well, not all of them - but you can't assume that they will tell the truth or not take an unfair advantage.

"It's taken me all this time to realise it, really. It's just the way the world is unfortunately, and subsequently it's the way the sport is as well."

Bowden will spend about six to seven months abroad each year umpiring, and is excited at the prospect of standing at some of the world's most famous grounds, such as Lord's and the MCG.

But he said he was equally looking forward to visiting some of the more culturally different nations and could barely wait for his next appointment - the series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the Caribbean next month.

The man with the crooked index finger has been praised by Waugh as one of the best umpires, and believes he is improving rapidly with the international experience, with his best years still ahead of him.

"I look back at the World Cup with a lot of pride but, then again, I know I've got the ability and am probably performing at 70 per cent of my potential right now.

"I'm learning things every day and I'm challenging myself to perform in foreign conditions, which I think is the hardest assignment for any umpire - just like the players.

"It's a fantastic job, an extremely stimulating lifestyle, and I'm delighted to have an opportunity to learn about people and countries I wouldn't otherwise have seen."

Bowden said he was surprised more former players in New Zealand had not realised how rewarding the position was, and the doors that could be opened once a career had been launched.

"People shouldn't hesitate, really. If there's a common complaint among all the umpires I've spoken with, it's that they wished they had started earlier. It's a young game and there is a career path now, so it's a great opportunity.

"As long as budding umpires understand that they can't keep everyone happy. If they try to, they're doomed to fail.

"They should be able to cope with the pressure. It's character-building ... "

Inside Track

* Name: Brent "Billy" Bowden.

* Born: April 11, 1963.

* First-class debut as umpire: 1993.

* Tests: 5.

* ODIs: 35.

* Highlight: Assisted in this year's World Cup final as fourth official.

* Has an arthritic condition that prevents his index finger straightening.

* Is the second youngest member of the ICC's elite panel (Simon Taufel, at 32, is the youngest).