Manoj Tiwary, in the wake of his retirement from first-class cricket, has brought attention to the inadequate standards of umpiring in India’s premier red-ball competition, the Ranji Trophy. The former Bengal captain, who recently faced controversy for suggesting the scrapping of the Ranji Trophy mid-match, has emphasized the need for the BCCI to address the umpiring issues prevalent in domestic cricket.
Expressing his concerns, Manoj Tiwary remarked, “Umpiring for me is the main concern. With all due respect, but the standard of umpiring is poor in domestic cricket. The BCCI should think about how they can improve umpiring.” He argued that this problem has persisted over several years, with both significant and trivial mistakes occurring regularly.
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Manoj Tiwary went on to share a specific incident, highlighting the unusual practices in a game. “In one game, an off-spinner was making a particular noise after each delivery. Many bowlers do… it’s like they are putting some energy on the ball and it sounds like ‘uhhhhhhhh’. In this case, an off-spinner was screaming ‘noooo’,” Tiwary explained.
When he raised the concern with the umpire, he was dismissed with a claim that the umpire did not hear the bowler’s utterances. Further elaborating on the issue, Tiwary revealed an instance where the umpire consistently referred no-ball decisions to the third umpire after each delivery.
“If I watch where the bowler’s foot lands, then I will not be able to see what happens to the ball,” the umpire justified. Manoj Tiwary questioned the umpire’s competence in handling such situations and noted that at times, the umpires fail to hear clear sounds like a batsman nicking the ball.
In an effort to raise the standards, Tiwary proposed that umpires should undergo dope tests similar to players. He even shared instances of umpires appearing on the field with signs of hangovers.
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“Many times I have seen umpires walking out to the middle while still nursing a hangover. The umpires have looked sleepy. How can he function properly in such a situation?” Manoj Tiwary emphasized. He concluded by expressing his intention to convey these recommendations to the BCCI for necessary action.
