Technology > Umpires

I will use this space for venting my dis-approvement against those who run the game.

The topic this time, is the power vested in umpires.

Umpires, for long, have decided the results in this glorious game played over years.

They have been deciding factor by virtue of their competence- or lack of it, judgement, biases, inadequate tools to give a fair judgement, personal likes, dislikes and agenda, so on and so forth.

I personally believe that cricket as a game deserves a fair judgement (as does everything else in life).

When you have an option to use the available technology, why is the last word always that of the umpire?
Why can a wrong decision given by umpire never be 'righted' when the whole world can see it as a wrong one?
Why should an inning (and sometimes the whole career) of an individual be decided by someone's wrong decision?
Why should a nation suffer because of a wrong decision?
Why should judgement and fairness suffer because of an umpiring error?

While umpires are necessary for on the field control, I think it is high time that administrators use the technology to ensure that the game is played in the right spirit.

Not only the game has been abused by wrong decisions due to incompetence, situational mistakes etc., but it has also been abused by high-headedness of certain individuals who have abused the power of being an on-field umpire (e.g. Darryl Hair, Mike Dennis etc.)

Also the umpires on the field have no easy tools to take a split second decision and often err due to this constraint.

I think that 3rd umpire should be given powers over and above those vested in the field umpires and he should overrule the decisions taken on field based on the tools which help him take the correct decision.

Another point - Why do cricket lovers dislike fixing? Because is alters the natural way a game is played. It makes you feel 'cheated'. Erroneous decisions are no less, and equally unfair.

Law and decisions should not necessarily be a blind lady holding weighing scales, especially when more than 1 billion set of eyes can decide easily and fairly.

Please ensure that this gloriously uncertain game gets its uncertanity from the way it is played rightfully and not through fixing or errors.