If, because of circumstances, an umpire happens to be in a player's way, the onus is on the player to take an alternate route. I remain convinced some players in recent seasons willingly collided with umpires after finding themselves out of the contest. Not to hurt them, but to create either a stoppage in play, or an excuse for failing to get to the contest. Apart from the risk of serious injury, it is an unedifying sight to see one of the men in charge of the game bowled over and rolling on the ground. Rather like a careless motorist mowing down a policeman on point duty.
Accidents do happen.
All of us knows that. Predictably, we are to hear more in the Fletcher case. The similarities with the Curley-Nicholls incident guaranteed a response from the authorities yesterday. There is nothing in his history to suggest he would do anything untoward. But there is an acute sensitivity about player-umpire contact at the moment, and umpire safety is paramount.