From: ABEGLEY@ccmail.sunysb.edu (Anthony M. Begley)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: English Umpiring, hello Rajeev
Date: 30 Jul 1992 11:32:08 -0500
Organization: State University of New York, Stony Brook
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu
X-Unparseable-Date: 30 Jul 1992 12:31:10 -0400 (EDT)


               State University of New York at Stony Brook
                       Stony Brook, NY 11794-2275

                                            Anthony M. Begley
                                            Materials Science
                                            516 632-8516
                                            30-Jul-1992 12:29pm EDT
FROM:  ABEGLEY
TO:    Remote Addressee                     ( _rec-sport-cricket@cs.utexas.edu )

SUBJECT: Re: English Umpiring, hello Rajeev                           



Dear All,
Rajeev has critiqued one of my usually lax and stupidly provocative
articles which I thank him for. Seeing as there is nothing
else to talk about I may as well add a few mindless comments back.
All in good humour of course.

> Although I think Pakistan has
> the best and most varied bowling attack in the world today.

Though not varied enough to get Gower out twice on a perfect bowlers
pitch :-) !!


Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion and people ought to respect them for
doing so. Pakistan may have the best (and most varied attack) in the world --
its certainly not a bad attack. However, doesnt anyone else believe, as I do,
that if Pakistan has the best attack in the world then there is a pretty bad 
shortage of good bowlers today. 

Wasim and Waqar are certainly world class
bowlers but I cant rate the rest of the attack as world class. Is it just me
or is the standard of bowling declining. How can we compare this Pak attack
to that of the West Indes in the late 70's/80's, or to Lille and Thompson.
Where have all the world class spinners gone to ?

England do not have any world class bowlers at the moment, nor do India or
New Zealand, I suppose. Even the West Indes are not as fearsome as they 
used to be.


> Pringle has probably been the best of English bowlers off late. Why he
> was dropped in between I don't know. Lewis has a few good spells every
> now and then. But England lacks a strike bowler. Someone who can carve
> through the line up. Like Waqar did in the England innings.

We all know this, thanks. Dont think I dont respect Pringle, but in this
longing for a quality strike bowler people like Pringle, Munton, Mallender,
etc are unfairly blamed for being trundlers. Its not their fault, we just
expect them to be like IT Botham in his hayday and they are not. All
of us remember the times Pringle has bowled on a flat fast good track and
got massacred (like everyone else). Like the rest of the bowling he only looks
good on a bowlers wicket (Headingly) -- thats why he shouldnt be playing
at the Oval. At least with genuine pace (however crap Malcolm is)
we might get the odd batsmen to make a mistake.....hopefully.



> I think you have to make up your mind. If Alderman was really good and trapped
> more people in front, he should get more LBWs. Shamim's point was that
> when you have a truly neutral umpire then he is equally fair to both sides.
> Are you saying that England was disadvantaged because the umpire was neutral?

Well, that was what the original posting implied.
You think Im implying that English umpires are completely impartial and the 
rest of the worlds umpires (esp Pakistan) are not. As all the sensible 
posters have been saying no country's umpires collectively are any better than
anyone elses. Every country has its umpires who SEEM to favour the home side,
although this is more likely a psychological feeling of being picked
on in a foreign country (argue that one :-) ).

It all boils down to ... what happens if you had pakistan playing Australia
in Pakistan under English bowling conditions. How many LBW decisions
against Miandad et al would Alderman get then ? Hopefully and probably
as many as in England because the  umpiring is fair. 

The point is we will NEVER know because in pakistan/India you dont get 
bowlers swinging and seaming the ball late. Thus no side of this touchy argument
will ever be justified.


> We have to work on this THOUGHT process a little bit. I think you have to
> quit thinking that your umpires are the best, impartial, and dismiss it
> off as "all the luck seems to have gone England's way" when they make bad
> decisions. If you are going to give the umpires the benefit of the doubt
> then you should extend that to all umpires, not from your country alone.

Thanks a lot ! I think this is abit harsh. If i implied that I think English
umpires are better than anyone elses then sorry , I didnt mean it.
All I was trying to do was think of reasons why lots of respectable
people do think as a whole they are fairer. Another reason I omitted is that
English umpires stand in the toughest cricket league in the world 
(no flames please), IMHO, where every nations best players come to play.
Thus, they meet and judge the cricket of every countries top players. 
Surely this improves their umpiring as compared to umpires who never meet
English players before an incoming tour.


> I hope you will remember to say this when England tours India. It gets
> very hot in India, you know.

Yes, but despite whatever arguments arise, so many runs will be scored and 
there will be so many meaningless draws that hopefully it wont
matter over disputed run outs.

By the way I couldnt believe my eyes when some Indian posters keep
on discussing how many runs England will make this winter.
I realise its better to be realistic but this pessimism is very disturbing.
Its like everyone realises India are crap at the moment (SRT excepted)
and dont want to lift their hopes too high in case they are diappointed.
Come on guys -- be abit more optimistic, please. England dont have the greatest
team in the world, but at least we think (misguidedly maybe) we can win
any game!


> When Gatting mouths off obscenities, he is losing a "little" control. 
> Aquib loses a "little" control, he brings the game to shame.

This is getting sillyagain. Its always back to the Gatting incident isnt it !!
How many other incidents of English dissent can you name ? I dontwamnt to
pick on Pakistan in particular, but even the most unbiased people of all nations
(except Pakistan) would admit they re the most fervent team in the world (which
is fine as long as they dont act like they have been on this tour).

There is no excuse for any player of whatever nationality to EVER even 
talk to the umpire about a decision.
Neutral umpires would be better but the problem lies in the cricketers
attitude towards winning games at all costs. 

> rajeev

Hope all this ranting was taken in the spirit in which it was intended,
Rajeev. No offence , of course.

Other mindless opinions:

What a sad day for cricket when teams are gaining runs by no balling people
for not declaring their actions (this must be the classic of impartial
umpiring). Cricket has its own traditions of gentlemanly conduct (which is why
we all love the game) and these incidents dont fall under this category.

Someone said you can tell the umpire you are bowling right arm over
and then bowl left arm round ??? What crap. The whole point of
the umpire announcing the action is to help prepare the batter see him
 running in.

The only reason to run out the non striker (after a warning, of course) 
is if he is DELIBERATELY stealing
a big lead. Not if he accidentally strays out of his crease due to 
neglectfulness. Most Mankading incidents arise from the latter, IMHO.
Verbal warning are usually enough, surely.

Tasteless joke of the week:
" Who holds the record for getting hit in the face by the most balls
in one season"?
Liberace (sp?)

God help us: SRT scored a ton at (that very vvery small ground) near
Newcastle (cant remeber name or location).

Nobody preapred to admit that their countrys cricket fans are hooligans
like our soccer fans ?? Or was it rampant crystal palace fans causing
trouble cos their team's so bad.

Tony "rooting for the Minor Counties at marlow and arnt they doing well''
B.