LAHORE – International Cricket Council (ICC) Elite panel umpire Asad Rauf revealed that the former umpire Steve Bucknor was instrumental in developing his umpiring skills over the years.
“I really respect Steve Bucknor as he once told me ‘Asad, I have a feeling that you will be included in the ICC’s Elite Panel very soon'. Six months later, I was part of the panel. He is my mentor and my coach. I have learnt so much from him since I started my career,” Rauf was quoted as saying by a website.
Rauf also recalled an example from his early days as umpire, when he was asked to supervise a Boxing Day Test between Australia and South Africa. He was officiating only in his third test. “Steve Bucknor helped me a lot in that Test. I got my confidence from that match. That was the most memorable day of my umpiring career and it was the match with which my career took off. My appointment was in India for the next match but they cancelled it and sent me to Australia,” recalled Rauf.
Asad Rauf's career as an umpire started in 1998 when he made his first-class debut. He was elevated to the ODI panel in 2004 and officiated in his first Test the following year. In April 2006 he was appointed to the ICC Elite Panel.
Speaking about officiating with other umpires, Rauf said that he tries to maintain good rapport with any umpire he’s officiating with, but he finds it comfortable being with fellow countryman Aleem Dar.
"I share a good rapport with Aleem Dar. One reason for that could be that both of us hail from Lahore and have played for the same club. We also made our umpiring debut in ODIs together. We share a great understanding. We also help each other a lot while on the field,” he added. Asad feels Billy Bowden as one of the funny and unique umpire in the game. “Billy Bowden has a peculiar style which cannot be matched by anyone. He goes a little over the top. When he’s in form, he does all kinds of crazy things.”
However he pointed out that umpiring in a Twenty20 match is much easier as compared to other forms of the game especially Test matches. People don’t understand this but T20 is in fact slow for the umpires. In this format a very few decisions come to the on-field umpires and the ones that do come to us are usually straightforward.
The bowlers generally bowl a bit wide of the off-stump which is relaxing for the umpires.
He also made a note about protective gears for umpires specifically in T20 matches looking at the ferocious hitting and a few situations where umpires have been on the receiving end in recent IPL matches.
“The kind of shots that batsmen play these days, we’re seriously thinking of demanding protective gear for the umpires. Very few people think about this but even the umpires have to work hard to maintain a standard of fitness. If the players have to play for six hours, we too have to stand for the same time on the field. In modern times we have to work a bit harder on that aspect,” said a cautious Rauf.