News cuttings

Below are links to news stories about umpiring and scoring. The most recent items are also featured on the home page but below you will find older articles that may be of interest.

28 August 2010
Cricinfo looks back 30 years to the Centenary Test in 1980, when MCC members at Lord's assaulted one of the umpires, in a piece by Martin Williamson.

25 August 2010
"The nebulous idea of the spirit of cricket is hard to sustain in our fractious times. Better to think in terms of respect for opponents, perhaps" writes Peter Roebuck in Cricinfo magazine.

18 August 2010
Four years after the controversial forfeited Test Match between England and Pakistan at the Oval in 2006, Test Match Special review the game. A podcast, including an interview with umpire Darrell Hair, is available to download from the TMS website. Suraj Randiv has been suspended by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board for one match following the no-ball controversy that denied Virender Sehwag a century during Monday's match between India and Sri Lanka, reports Cricinfo.

17 August 2010
Sri Lankan offspinner, Suraj Randiv, has apologised to Indian batsman, Virender Sehwag, for denying him a one-day century after a deliberate no-ball ended the match and left the India opener stranded on 99, reports Cricinfo.

16 August 2010
Somerset players showed a lack of awareness of the Laws of Cricket in the t20 final versus Hampshire by failing to run out the injured striker off the last ball of the game. The climax of the game is reviewed by Vic Marks writing in the Observer.

28 July 2010
The newly-retired umpire Rudi Koertzen has called for the decision review system to be included in every Test series, according to Brydon Coverdale writing on the Cricinfo website.

20 July 2010
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has called on the ICC to make sure the Umpire Decision Review System is used in every series, after the Pakistan board did not put the system in place for the neutral series in England, reports Brydon Coverdale on the Cricinfo website.

19 July 2010
Following some unacceptable behaviour at some junior matches this year, Head of Non-First Class Cricket, Paul Bedford has issued a message on the ECB website.

18 July 2010
There's no better example of the dysfunctional nature of international cricket administration than the Umpire Decision Review System, argues Ian Chappell on the Cricinfo website.

14 July 2010
The MCC Laws Sub Committee has recently approved the 4th Edition of the Laws of Cricket and the ECB ACO has also produced a guide for new officials to manage a game of cricket. More details can be found on the ECB ACO website.

12 July 2010
Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has asked the ICC to step in and make the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) mandatory for all Test series, following India's refusal to use it for the upcoming series, reports the Cricinfo website.

4 June 2010
Rudi Koertzen has announced his retirement from officiating in international cricket. The ICC have added Marais Erasmus, from South Africa, and Rodney Tucker, from Australia, to the Elite Panel of Umpires for 2010-11 to replace Koertzen and Mark Benson, who stepped down from the panel in February. Read more on the Cricinfo website.

25 May 2010
The Umpire Decision Review System has been ditched from the forthcoming England-Bangladesh series after the ICC and Sky, the host broadcaster for the series, failed to reach an agreement over who would foot the bill, reports the Cricinfo website.

21 May 2010
The ICC Cricket Committee has recommended that the Umpire Decision Review System be implemented in the 2011 Word Cup and introduced as soon as possible in all Test series. The committee have also said the practice of the non-striker backing up while the ball was being delivered should be discouraged, as should batsmen changing their grip before the bowler entered his delivery stride, according to a report on the Cricinfo website.

8 May 2010
Few changes to the Laws have been as drastic or, even without the benefit of hindsight, crazy than the one tried out by the MCC in 1900, writes Martin Williamson on Cricinfo.

9 March 2010
Two new items have been posted on the ECB ACO website: the first concerns the issue of umpire classifications and gradings and the second is about rates of remuneration and responsibilities for umpire appointments below First Class level.

8 March 2010
News about the he ECB ACO Constitution Working Party is available on the ECB ACO website.

8 February 2010
Mark Benson has been offered a first-class umpire contract for the 2010 domestic season, reports the ECB website.

5 February 2010
The English umpire, Mark Benson, has confirmed his retirement from the ICC elite panel, and will see out his career on the county circuit, following his sudden withdrawal from the Adelaide Test between Australia and West Indies in December, according to a report on the Cricinfo website.

3 February 2010
"Make the third umpire proactive: it may disempower the two men on the field but failing to do so could make them unbending, self-protecting not-outers instead", argues Rob Steen in Cricinfo Magazine.

25 January 2010
The ICC is planning a meeting with television broadcasters in March to sort out problems arising from the Umpire Decision Review System, reports Akhila Ranganna on Cricinfo. Peter Willey is reported as saying that he would rather live with human fallibility than the UDRS, according to Ranjit Shinde writing on Cricinfo.

24 January 2010
In an extended article, titled "The loneliness of the long-distance umpire", in The Observer Jamie Jackson claims that the ICC's elite officials have never been less appreciated. In a companion piece Vic Marks questions "whether the ICC have all the best umpires and whether they have implemented the best system of deploying them".

21 January 2010
Following the controversy surrounding the Umpire Decision Review System in the recent Test series between England and South Africa, Christopher Martin-Jenkins calls on the ICC to look again at the system. Writing in the Guardian, Mike Selvey argues that the system needs fine-tuning to quell the controversy over umpires' poor calls.

19 January 2010
South Africa coach Mickey Arthur has expressed his "mixed feelings" about the Umpire Decision Review System, reports Cricinfo

18 January 2010
"The ICC could allow Australian and English umpires to stand in the Ashes series later this year as its confidence with the umpire decision review system continues to grow", writes Brydon Coverdale in Cricinfo.

17 January 2010
The Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council has said he will "ensure a full and comprehensive investigation is carried out of issues involving technology and the decision review system (DRS) as applied during the fourth Test between South Africa and England in Johannesburg following controversy and receipt of an official complaint from the England and Wales Cricket Board" says an ICC media release Meanwhile, it is claimed that the Umpire Decision Referral System "has failed to live up to its billing" by Ian Chappell writing in Cricinfo Magazine. In another piece, in the Times Simon Barnes argues that "cricketers were never going to use the review system in the spirit in which it was offered".

16 January 2010
ICC match referee Roshan Mahanama has claimed that in the disputed referral of a Not Out decision for a caught behind appeal against South African skipper, Graeme Smith, "that the TV umpire followed the correct protocol" and "that the volume on the third umpire's feed ... had been configured to optimise the quality of the audio" in a news article on the ICC website. Meanwhile the ECB "has asked the ICC to reinstate the review that was used up for the controversial appeal against Graeme Smith. Daryl Harper, the TV umpire, upheld the on-field decision of 'not out' made by Tony Hill, but England were furious when it emerged he hadn't had the volume turned up to hear the nick" reports Andrew McGlashan on the Cricinfo website.

15 January 2010
"Controversy continues to haunt umpire Daryl Harper - the third official, who once in the Caribbean unwittingly had his all important television screen switched to zoom mode, preventing him from seeing the ball....Today he failed to raise the volume control on his sound box beyond four out of a possible 10 while studying a review" writes the BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on the latest controversy about the Umpire Decision Referral System. In another item, Andrew McGlashan claims "Harper howlers undermine UDRS" in an article on Cricinfo.

24 December 2009
"If any single innovation were going to undermine the fragile, ancient contract of respect between players and umpires, it was not those hi-tech toys Hawk-Eye, Snicko and Hot Spot, but the bastard son of all of these: the referral system", argues Kevin Mitchell in his blog on the Guardian website.

14 December 2009
The ECB have announced the 2010 First Class and First Class reserve list of umpires. There are no new additions to the First Class list but Martin Saggers, the former Kent bowler, and Paul Baldwin, a member of the ICC Associate and Affiliates panel since its inception in 2005, join the reserve list. For more details see the ECB website.

8 December 2009
Mark Benson has quashed speculation of his impending retirement from the ICC's elite panel of umpires and has issued a statement declaring that his withdrawal from the recently concluded second Test between Australia and West Indies was entirely due to health reasons, reports Cricinfo. Mark Benson's full statement can be found in an ICC media release.

7 December 2009
In further coverage of Mark Benson's withdrawal as umpire in the second Test match between Australia and West Indies on the second morning, it is said that the ICC is facing a potential crisis over its controversial umpire decision referral system. Although the official explanation given by the ICC was that Benson was ill, reports have suggested that he quit due to frustration at his treatment during the first day's play in Adelaide, writes John Westerby in the Times. Meanwhile it is reported that officials at the ICC expect to be able to clarify Mark Benson's future as an elite umpire within the next 36 hours, according to the Cricinfo website. In another article on Cricinfo, reported criticism of the UDRS comes from Dickie Bird. Reactions from John Holder (Benson's umpiring mentor) and Chris Kelly (the ECB Umpires Manager) are quoted in an article by David Hopps in the Guardian.

6 December 2009
There is much coverage of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) following controversy over decisions in the Test Match between Australia and West Indies. The commentator Tony Crozier claims the system is simply not working. In related coverage, there is speculation that Mark Benson's decision to withdraw from the Adelaide Test was due to his annoyance over several incidents involving the UDRS on day one of the second Test between Australia and West Indies, one of which led to his original decision being overturned. The story is covered on many sites including Cricinfo.

24 November 2009
Following doubts that the Umpire Decision Review System would be used in England's forthcoming Test series in South Africa, the International Cricket Council has confirmed that it will, reports the BBC website. The first priority of the umpire review system is to eliminate obvious mistakes but Dave Richardson, the ICC's cricket operations manager and man in charge of implementing the technology, hopes it will also lead to more batsmen not hanging around when they've edged behind, reports the Cricinfo website.

20 November 2009
"India seem to have made a start to combat illegal actions by allowing umpires to call bowlers on the field", writes Harsha Bhogle on the Cricinfo website.

17 November 2009
The Umpire Decision Review System is "in crisis" reports the BBC website.

13 November 2009
The controversial Umpire Decision Review System will be scrapped for the forthcoming India-Sri Lanka and South Africa-England Test series as broadcasters and national boards baulk at the costs, reports Alex Brown and Nagraj Gollapudi on Cricinfo.

9 November 2009
The ECB has announced that first-class umpires Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth have been promoted to the ICC international panel with immediate effect. For more details see the ECB website. In other news, umpire Ahsan Raza's appointment as the reserve official in the third ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand marked his return to duty nine months after being seriously injured in the terror attacks on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore on March 3. The full story can be found on the Cricinfo website.

1 November 2009
"The death of umpire Alcwyn Jenkins during a club league match in Swansea last July has emphasised the importance of safety while umpiring and the need for the upmost concentration. Umpires have been severely injured by powerful shots standing at the bowler's end or at square-leg, but throw-ins can be equally dangerous, as was so devastatingly illustrated during the South Wales Cricket Association match between Swansea and Llangennech at the St Helen's ground" writes Charlie Randall.

29 October 2009
Obituaries of David Shepherd feature in the news media today including in the Times and the Daily Telegraph

28 October 2009
There is lots of coverage of the sad news that former Test umpire David Shepherd has died after a battle with cancer. Among the reports are those from the BBC, the ECB and Cricinfo website. The Cricinfo website includes a tribute by Simon Taufel and an archived interview with "Shep" by David Foot. Among the other tributes is one from the ECB chief executive David Collier. The ICC President, David Morgan has expressed his sadness at the death of David Shepherd, reports the ICC website. All the national newspapers have included tributes including the Guardian, The Times, and the Daily Telegraph.

23 October 2009
The ECB fast bowling directives have changed following a two-year consultation process. The outcome is that bowlers up to under-15 level are now able to bowl longer spells and more overs in a day. For full details see the ECB website.

21 October 2009
Daryl Harper says that he has never apologised to a player about mistakes he has made umpiring in an interview with Nagraj Gollapudi on Cricinfo.

5 October 2009
David Edwards (Chairman of the Surrey ECB ACO, Secretary of the Surrey Championship Umpires Panel and member of East Surrey Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association) has been awarded a national 'OSCA' (Outstanding Service to Cricket Award) for the incredible work he puts into ensuring the continuation of cricket in the county. For more details see the Surrey CCC website.

1 October 2009
Aleem Dar has been declared "umpire of the year" in the annual ICC award ceremony reports Cricinfo. Meanwhile, the value of (the preamble to the Laws of Cricket about) the Spirit of Cricket is called into question by Mike Atherton writing in the Times.

29 September 2009
The ICC have declared that Andrew Strauss and the umpires were correct to refuse South African skipper, Graeme Smith, a runner in the Champions Trophy match with England, reports Cricinfo.

7 September 2009
"Umpires should be helped to get better" says Simon Taufel in an interview with Jason Dasey in Cricinfo magazine.

30 August 2009
"Cricket's reliance on off-field help in the decision-making process is part of the problem: the game needs better umpires, not more technology" argues Ian Chappell writing in Cricinfo magazine.

2 August 2009
Writing in the Observer, Mike Brearley explains his conversion to the use of referrals to help on-field umpires get as many decisions right as possible.

22 July 2009
Test match umpire Rudi Koertzen believes the umpire decision referral system would have have proven helpful in adjudicating on Ricky Ponting's first-innings dismissal in the the second Test match between England and Australia. He bemoans the attitude of batsmen who refuse to take the word of fielders, and believes all claimed catches should now be referred to the video umpire to avoid future controversies. Read more in this item by Alex Brown on Cricinfo.

20 July 2009
"Australia could legitimately complain about the apparent inconsistency of the umpires when it came to their referrals to the third umpire" writes Christopher Martin-Jenkins in The Times.

19 July 2009
There is comment on umpiring controversy at Lord's, in which Rudi Koertzen and Billy Doctrove are described to "have lurched from one crisis to another" according to Alex Brown writing on Cricinfo.

6 July 2009
Further coverage of the death of umpire Alcwyn Jenkins includes articles in the Times and the Daily Mail. There is also comment by Charlie Randall.

5 July 2009
An umpire has died after being struck on the head by the ball in the game between Swansea and Llangennech yesterday, reports the Wales online website. The ECB ACO has also issued a statement on the incident.

3 July 2009
The England and Wales Cricket Board Association of Cricket Officials has announced that Steve Bennett, the FA Premier League and former FIFA referee, has accepted a role as an independent director and will sit on the new ACO board. Steve has been a Premier League referee since 1999 and will help develop the role of cricket officials, reports an ECB media release.

25 June 2009
The International Cricket Council has approved the use of video referrals to challenge umpire's decisions and the system will come into permanent effect in October, reports the BBC website. The story is also covered on Cricinfo.

12 June 2009
England bowler Stuart Broad has been warned by the ICC about his attempts to distract batsmen at the World Twenty20. South Africa thrashed England on Thursday but skipper Graeme Smith complained about Broad looking away and pointing halfway through his run-up. Match referee Alan Hurst and umpires Steve Davis and Alan Hill have decided it was "not an appropriate action". Read the full story on the BBC website.

11 June 2009
Was the astounding piece of fielding by Angelo Mathews yesterday for Sri Lanka brilliance or stretching the boundaries? asks Patrick Kidd in The Times. You can also view footage on YouTube.

4 June 2009
In a new posting on the ECB ACO website, Mark Baldwin talks to both Rob Bailey and Chris Kelly about the rising standards of talented young umpires in English first-class cricket.

23 May 2009
A revolutionary new cricket bat, called the "Mongoose", is set to take 20:20 cricket by storm, according to Simon Briggs writing in the Daily Telegraph.

17 May 2009
"There have been attempts through the years to produce a simplified explanation of cricket's laws, but nothing presented with such colour and with such explanation of even the most bizarre situation as 'Ask the Umpire' writes Jonathan Agnew in his review of the book in the Observer.

12 May 2009
This summer's Ashes series will be one of the last in which the umpire's decision is final, after the ICC confirmed that its controversial Umpire Decision Review System is set to be introduced permanently into the game on the basis of a "phased roll-out" from October 2009, reports the Cricinfo website. More details can be found in the ICC media release. Meanwhile, Australian cricket umpire Daryl Harper says increasingly ferocious hits in the fast-paced Twenty20 format of the game is forcing officials to consider using baseball helmets for protection, reports the ABC website.

11 May 2009
Paul Bedford, the ECB's Head of Operations (non first class cricket) has issued a message to all ECB ACO Members and ECB Leagues including a request that umpires should supervise the toss in ECB matches (including Minor Counties, Premier League, National Knockout Cup, Cockspur Club T20 and County Age Group matches) and use this opportunity to remind Captains of their responsibility under the Code of Conduct incorporating the Spirit of Cricket in the match. For more details, see the ECB ACO website.

9 May 2009
A review of Paul Trevillion's and John Holder's new book 'You are the umpire' appears on the Cricinfo website.

16 April 2009
The ECB has announced the results of a review of the disciplinary and appeals process in recreational cricket which has resulted in a change in the standard of proof in all cricket disciplinary hearings, so that it mirrored civil rather than criminal law Ð i.e. on the balance of probabilities rather than beyond reasonable doubt, thereby allowing cases to be heard and decisions made more swiftly. This and other issues, including the possible use of yellow cards and the publication of fair play leagues in Premier League cricket, is outlined in a news piece on the ECB website.

3 April 2009
Officials planning to operate in an ECB accredited Premier League in 2009 must be members of ECB ACO. For more details see the ECB website.

30 March 2009
Former Test cricket umpire Steve Bucknor has revealed he was the victim of racist abuse earlier in his career, reports the BBC website.

24 March 2009
The International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring (IICUS) website includes a personal account of the days leading up to the recent terrorist incident in Lahore from Simon Taufel.

23 March 2009
More coverage of the imminent retirement of Steve Bucknor can be found on the BBC website. The record-holding umpire has bowed out of Test cricket with an appeal of his own: leave the decision-making in the hands of the on-field officials, reports the Cricinfo website. Umpires Tony Hill and Ian Gould have been added to the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires to bring the number on the elite panel will be back up to 12, with the imminent retirement of Steve Bucknor and last year's retirement of Darrell Hair. For more details see this ICC media release. Ian Gould's elevation has been welcomed by the ECB and in particular by Chris Kelly, the ECB umpires' manager.

18 March 2009
Steve Bucknor, the world's most experienced Test umpire, hangs up his boots after the forthcoming Newlands Test. In an article in Cricinfo magazine Brydon Coverdale interviews Bucknor.

10 March 2009
Monty Panesar has been fined 25% of his match fee for excessive appealing during the fifth Test against West Indies in Trinidad. The punishment was imposed by match referee Alan Hurst, who said that "On more than one occasion during the day, he began celebrating a prospective dismissal rather than appealing and waiting for the decision to be made, thereby not showing due respect for the role of the umpire. He is an experienced player who should know this action is not in the spirit of the game", reports the BBC website. Writing in the Sunday Times, Matthew Pryor argues that the troubled trial of the referral system appeared to reach a new low in the fifth Test.

9 March 2009
"ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat's comments that umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis needed to be "more rational" in their assessment of the security at the time of the terrorist attack in Lahore has drawn a stinging attack from Darrell Hair, speaking in his capacity as head of the New South Wales Umpires and Scorers Association" reports the Cricinfo website.

5 March 2009
The Australian umpires Simon Taufel and Steve Davis are reported to be angry at the lack of security arrangements that led to them being shot at repeatedly during the terrorist attack in Pakistan, according to Cricinfo website.

4 March 2009
A Pakistani umpire wounded in Tuesday's attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan has been operated on and is in a stable condition, reports the ICC website.

3 March 2009
Ahsan Raza, the fourth umpire for the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Lahore, is in a critical condition after reportedly being shot in the back during the attack on the Sri Lankan team on Tuesday, reports the Cricinfo website. The Times reports that Chris Broad, the match referee, was praised for his bravery after diving on top of Ahsan Raza, a local umpire, to save his life during this morning's gun attack.

2 March 2009
South Africa captain, Graeme Smith, says he has little faith in the umpire referral system, reports the BBC website.

1 March 2009
Commenting on the rash of referrals during the third day's play in the fourth test match between England and West Indies Jonathan Agnew states that the "ensuing decision-making process leaves the credibility of the review process in tatters". However, the system is defended by ex-England coach Duncan Fletcher.

22 February 2009
Steve Bucknor, the only umpire to have stood in 100 Tests, is to retire from umpiring at the international level in March.

13 February 2009
With much discussion about the referral system being used in the current Test series between England and the West Indies compared with the one used in last year's Stanford Series, Nagraj Gollapudi has asked a panel of experts which referral system is the better? See this item on the Cricinfo website.

10 February 2009
Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, has indicated his opposition to the current umpire review system being trialled by the ICC. Instead, Clarke is in favour of the on-field umpires directly consulting the third umpire in case of doubtful calls, along the lines of the system used during the Stanford Super Series in Antigua last year, according to the Cricinfo website.

9 February 2009
England fast bowler Steve Harmison fears the umpire review system will make a "mockery" of the on-field umpires, reports the Cricinfo website.

8 February 2009
Reflecting on the use of the umpire referral system in the England v WI Test Match Martin Johnson, writing in the Sunday Times, argues it is time to "let the umpire strike back".

6 February 2009
There is much discussion about the use of the umpire referral system in the England v WI Test Match including criticism of the system from Mike Selvey writing in the Guardian. Another critic, Mike Atherton argues "decision-making should really be left to the umpires". In another tribute to the late Bill Frindall, the Surrey scorer Keith Booth writes about his Surrey roots.

3 February 2009
Darrell Hair, the former international umpire at the centre of the furore surrounding the 2006 Oval Test, has called on all the ICC board members involved in the original decision to change the result of the match to resign, according to the Cricinfo website.

1 February 2009
England have been awarded "victory" in the 2006 Oval Test match against Pakistan after the International Cricket Council changed the official result from "match abandoned" to an England win, reports the Guardian website. There is further coverage on the Cricinfo website. The move has been welcomed by MCC's World Cricket Committee who recommended such action back in October. There are further tributes to Bill Frindall including one from Simon Wilde writing in the Sunday Times.

31 January 2009
More Bill Findall obituaries today with Christopher Martin Jenkins writing in the Times that Bill was the "most illustrious, indefatigable and industrious (scorers) of them all". Writing in the Independent, Stephen Brenkley says that Frindall "turned the mundane world of cricket scoring into an art form". ICC President, David Morgan, also pays tribute in an ICC media release.

30 January 2009
BBC Test Match Special scorer Bill Frindall has died at the age of 69, reports the BBC and Cricinfo websites. The first obituaries have appeared including one from Vic Marks in the Guardian and one on the ECB ACO website.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is expected to firmly resist reversing the result of the controversial 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan at the ICC board meeting in Perth on January 31 and February 1. The match was initially forfeited by Pakistan, after they refused to take the field following accusations of ball tampering, but the ICC changed the result to a draw at its board meeting in July last year, reports the Cricinfo website.

29 January 2009
The International Cricket Council has changed the regulations regarding referrals of umpire decisions for the forthcoming West Indies-England series. In the last year, the ICC has been conducting a trial allowing players to refer decisions made by on-field umpires to the TV official. However, in the West Indies, both sides will be allowed only two (rather than three) unsuccessful challenges per innings, reports the BBC website. The same story appears on the Cricinfo website.

Older news: 2008 and before

23 December 2008
Following the completion of the 2nd Test versus the West Indies, New Zealand captain, Daniel Vettori, calls for all available technology to be used in the umpiring referral process. Read the full story on the Cricinfo website.

16 December 2008
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat has identified slow over-rates and verbal abuse as two key areas that must be kept in check "for cricket to maintain its feel-good factor over the coming months." He has written to all ICC match referees and umpires asking them to be "assertive and proactive" in dealing with the issues. Read more in the ICC media release.

11 December 2008
The ICC has decided to continue with the trial of the umpire's referral system in the upcoming series between New Zealand and West Indies. See coverage on the ICC website.

7 December 2008
Billy Bowden will replace Asad Rauf as umpire in the First Test between England and India confirms an ICC media release.

6 December 2008
Pakistani cricket umpire Asad Rauf will not be standing in the First Test between England and India because of a delay in obtaining a visa. "Rauf had visas for Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the original venues, but could not get replacement documents from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad because it was closed for the Eid festival", writes Patrick Kidd in The Times.

5 December 2008
As coverage of the possible security threat to England's Test series in India continues, the Pakistani cricket umpire Asad Rauf has said that he has no security reservations about officiating at Test matches in India later this month. Read the full story on the ICC website.

13 November 2008
Further coverage of Martin Bodenham's appointment to the full list of First Class umpires for the 2009 season can be found on the ECB website.

12 November 2008
Yellow cards could be introduced to English first-class cricket for abusing umpires or excessive sledging if trials at minor county level prove a success. The subject will be discussed by ECB chairman Giles Clarke and the MCC at a meeting at Lord's on Wednesday night, reports Cricinfo. There is further coverage of this issue from Ivo Tennant writing in the Times.

10 November 2008
The ECB today announced the full list of umpires for the 2009 season. It includes former FIFA referee Martin Bodenham, who will make history when he stands next season as the only man to have refereed top flight football and umpired first-class cricket matches. For more information, please see the ECB media release. There is coverage of the same story on the BBC website.

6 November 2008
Standing in the current India/Australia Test Match, Billy Bowden becomes just the 10th umpire in the history of the game to stand in 50 Tests or more. "I would like to congratulate Billy on his achievement," said ICC Umpires' and Referees' Manager Vince van der Bijl in an ICC media release.

29 October 2008
ICC President, David Morgan, has said that reversing the result of the controversial Oval Test was inappropriate and indicated that the ICC might reconsider the decision reports the Cricinfo website.

27 October 2008
The MCC World Cricket Committee have issued nine statements including one urging the ICC to overturn its awarding of a draw for the disputed England-Pakistan Test at The Oval in 2006 and another on the use of technology to aid umpire decisions in cricket. A copy of the statements can be found on the MCC website.

26 October 2008
The MCC has recommended that the ICC overturn its awarding of a draw for the disputed England-Pakistan Test at The Oval in 2006. More details can be found on the Cricinfo website.

23 October 2008
England's winner-takes-all Stanford match on Nov 1 will be subject to unprecedented levels of television technology with umpires able to call on replays to determine every decision, reports Nick Hoult writing in the Daily Telegraph. Further coverage can be found on the Cricinfo website.

21 October 2008
A tribute to the former international umpire Nigel Plews, has been posted on the MCC website.

20 October 2008
Nigel Plews, the former international umpire, has died following a battle against kidney cancer. See the Cricinfo website. See also a statement released by the ICC from its President, David Morgan. There is a tribute to Nigel Plews from ESACUS member Barrie Stuart-King reported on the BBC website.

16 October 2008
Commenting on the ICC trial of referring umpires' decisions, Dave Richardson (the ICC's manager for cricket operations), said there were concerns the on-field umpires were not totally in charge of referrals and left most to the third umpire. "The only disappointment [during the Sri Lanka series] was that the third umpire ruled the roost. We want the on-field umpires to be in total charge all the time." For the full story see the Cricinfo website.

14 October 2008
The ICC have decided to extend their trial of the umpire review system, beginning with New Zealand's two-Test battle against West Indies in December. More details can be found on the Cricinfo website. The issue is also covered on the BBC website. Further comment is given on the Times website.

8 October 2008
"The Association of Elite Sports Officials (AESO) was launched at Twickenham yesterday as an umbrella organisation that will represent full-time officials in cricket, football, rugby league and rugby union and raise standards within the sports by allowing referees and umpires to exchange ideas and techniques" writes Patrick Kidd in the Times.

7 October 2008
So-called 'Rebel' umpire Allan Jones says joining the ICL is a 'no-brainer' reports Charles Randall writing in the Daily Telegraph.

20 September 2008
The ICC trialled an umpire decision review system during the Test match series between Sri Lanka and India in July and August this year. The ICC have reviewed the outcomes and declared it a "successful experiment". For more details see the ICC website.

6 September 2008
The behaviour of present-day players is not much worse than their predecessors, according to Vince van der Bijl, the ICC umpires' and referees' manager.

5 September 2008
The former Test umpire and Australian cricket administrator, Col Egar, has died in Adelaide at the age of 80.

28 August 2008
In the aftermath of Marcus Trescothick's confession about the use of minted-saliva to help shine the ball, one commnentator says that "ball-tampering is almost as old as cricket - maybe it's time it was legalised". Read the full article by Lambit Bal on Cricinfo.

27 August 2008
"The standards of player conduct have slipped in the county game, and umpires and captains are content to turn a blind eye" argues Christopher Martin Jenkins writing in Cricinfo Magazine. Umpires on the ECB First Class Panel are to be awarded 12 month contracts from 1st January 2009 to deter them from standing in unauthorised tournaments, such as the Indian Cricket League, reports the Times.

25/26 August 2008
Marcus Trescothick's revelation that he used mint-induced saliva to keep the shine on the ball during the 2001 Ashes series has raised the question about whether or not this is a violation of Law 42. The issue is discussed by Nagraj Gollapudi writing on Cricinfo. Troy Cooley, the England bowling coach at the time, denies any knowledge of the use of the tactic according to a report on the Fox News website.

13 August 2008
At the conclusion of the Sri Lanka/India Test Series, the results of the umpiring review system is reviewed by Sambit Bal on Cricinfo.

10 August 2008
Umpire Benson calls for the use of the "HotSpot" in the umpiring review system, according to Cricinfo

4 August 2008
The umpiring review system needed to be tried, but there are plenty of questions still unanswered and kinks to be worked out, argues Sambit Bal in an opinion piece in Cricinfo magazine.

27 July 2008
Following the completion of the recent Sri Lanka/India Test Match, the Sri Lankan captain, Mahela Jayawardene, says the new experimental rule allowing players to challenge umpiring decisions is stopping mistakes being made. However, the Indian captain, Anil Kumble, thinks it is too early to comment, reports the BBC website.

24 July 2008
Sri Lankan batsman, Tillakaratne Dilshan, became the first player to take advantage of cricket's new trial laws and successfully challenge an on-field umpire's decision in the Test match versus India. More details can be found in The Times online. There is further comment on the decision by Indian skipper, Anil Kumble, to challenge a not out call for an LBW appeal from Dileep Premachandran writing on Cricinfo.

23 July 2008
Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager says he is confident that the trial system for players to challenge umpires' decisions would work well on a long-term basis and it would eradicate obvious mistakes, reports Jamie Alter on Cricinfo.

22 July 2008
"Cricket is about to take a leap of faith in technology with the trial of a system that allows players to challenge the decision of the on-field umpires in the Test series between Sri Lanka and India. The umpire's word will no longer be final", writes Jamie Alter on Cricinfo. The Indian captain, Anil Kumble welcomes the trial. Other reactions are also covered on Cricinfo.

20 July 2008
Technology cannot be relied upon to get it right when players claim low catches and it may be better to let players police themselves, writes David Gower, in further comment on the disputed catches in the 2nd Test Match between England and South Africa.

19 July 2008
The spirit of Cricket initiative has been much championed in the corridors of power, but on the field a mild form of anarchism seems to be taking hold argues Simon Hughes writing in the Telegraph about the controversial incidents in the 2nd Test Match between England and South Africa.

13 July 2008
In deciding to change the result of last year's England/Pakistan Test Match, at the Oval, the ICC is in clear contradiction of Law 21.7 and Law 21.10, argues Will Buckley, writing in the Observer.

9 July 2008
The danger of beamers has been highlighted in a tragic case where an amateur cricketer has been left paralysed after he was hit on the head by a ball during a match in Dorset. The full story is reported on the BBC website.

5 July 2008
Michael Holding, the former West Indian fast bowler, has resigned from the ICC Cricket Committee because he is unhappy with the ICC's decision to change the result of the 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan, according to a report on the Cricinfo website.

4 July 2008
The decision to change the result of the 2006 Oval Test between Pakistan and England destroys the meaning of sport, argues Simon Barnes writing in the Times.

3 July 2008
The ICC has decided to change the result of the controversial 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan to a draw, reports the BBC website.

2 July 2008
An agreement in principle is believed to have been reached to change the result of the controversial Oval Test between England and Pakistan in 2006 from an English victory to a draw, following pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the annual ICC meeting in Dubai, reports the Cricinfo website. Reflecting on the recent controversy surrounding the dismissal of New Zealand player Grant Elliott in a ODI versus England, Gideon Haigh asks "who today wants to be a "brave" umpire?" in an article in Cricinfo magazine.

30 June 2008
Ricky Ponting has been found guilty of breaching the ICC's Code of Conduct during his side's ODI against the West Indies in Grenada last Friday. The player was charged under clause 1.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct which refers to "showing dissent at an umpire's decision". More details can be found in the ICC media release.

27 June 2008
A review of comments on the controversial run out of New Zealand batsman Grant Elliott following a collision with Ryan Sidebottom can be found on the Cricinfo website.

25 June 2008
England captain Paul Collingwood has apologised to New Zealand after the controversial run-out in the ODI at the Oval. Grant Elliott was given run-out after he was knocked to the ground colliding with England player Ryan Sidebottom. "The umpires said 'are you upholding the appeal?'. In hindsight maybe I made the wrong decision," Collingwood said, reports the BBC website. Further comment is made by the BBC cricket correspondent, Jonathan Agnew, in a BBC interview.

19 June 2008
Further comment on the MCC's recent ruling on 'switch-hitting' from Ian Chappell who thinks it unfair to ask bowlers to say beforehand how they are going to operate and then not subject batsmen to the same rule.

18 June 2008
MCC's announcement on the 'switch-hitting' reverse sweep shot has prompted much discussion with the BBC cricket correspondent, Jonathan Agnew, writing that the MCC has acted too swiftly in giving it the all-clear.

17 June 2008
Following much news coverage of Kevin Pietersen's use of the 'switch-hitting' reverse sweep shot, the MCC have given it the all-clear in regard of the laws. See the news statement on the MCC website. There will be a trial of umpire referrals in the forthcoming India/Sri Lanka Test Series. It will allow the fielding and batting side three unsuccessful appeals to the umpire per innings to change a decision if it is perceived to have been incorrect. The trial could enhance the international game says the ICC's David Richardson in an ICC media release.

16 June 2008
The MCC will discuss the legality of the shots played by Kevin Pietersen during the first ODI against New Zealand at Chester-le-Street when they meet at Lord's on Tuesday according to the Cricinfo website. Meanwhile "the proposed umpire review system will be trialled during India's three-Test series against Sri Lanka, beginning next month, the Indian cricket board has said. Originally set to feature for the first time during South Africa's upcoming series against England, it was shelved after both boards failed to reach an agreement on the details" For more details see the Cricinfo website.

7 June 2008
"Plans to allow players to refer decisions to the television umpire during the forthcoming Test series between England and South Africa have been abandoned because the players are uncomfortable with the idea of challenging the on-field officials' authority" writes Lawrence Booth in the Guardian. It is also reported that the ECB is so worried about outbursts of indiscipline in the recreational game that this summer a system of yellow cards is being secretly trialled at three private schools, according to David Hopps writing in the Guardian.

6 June 2008
The ECB ACO have announced the appointment of Nick Cousins as its ACO Education Manager to be responsible for shaping and planning the delivery of the Officials Education Programmes.

4 June 2008
Many are asking whether or not the new trousers that the New Zealand team will be wearing in the Third Test Match comply with the Laws of Cricket. The "micro-shine" trousers have a special patch that makes it easier to polish the ball but the MCC are happy they do not break laws on artificial aides. Read more on the BBC website.

24 May 2008
"Hair returns from exile to find a game uneasy with authority figures" reports Chris McGrath writing in the Independent.

23 May 2008
"Maybe it's time to ban appealing so umpires can do their jobs better" writes Gideon Haigh in a thoughtful piece in Cricinfo magazine. Meanwhile, Vince van der Bijl has been appointed ICC Umpires' and Referees' Manager as part of moves to strengthen the department and improve the overall standard of officiating at the elite level, reports an ICC media release.

22 May 2008
Darrel Hair is ready for Test return reports the BBC website. Andrew McGlashan also covers Hair's return on Cricinfo.

21 May 2008
"Hair steps back into Test arena with new outlook", writes David Hopps in the Guardian. "Re-inventing yourself is probably not that difficult if you have the chameleon tendencies of Madonna, but when you are a hulking six feet five inch umpire with a stubborn streak called Darrell Hair, any proposed changes are likely to be met with a healthy dollop of scepticism" says Derek Pringle in the Daily Telegraph.

16 May 2008
"The MCC's proposal to limit the power of cricket bats has merit; the ICC's decision to trial the umpiring referral system doesn't" says Gideon Haigh writing in Cricinfo Magazine.

11 May 2008
The ICC are "barking up the wrong tree with its decision to experiment with umpiring referrals" writes Ian Chappell in Cricinfo Magazine.

8 May 2008
Further coverage of the vote by MCC members to change Law 6 - The Bat on the BBC website. The news prompted a leader item in the Guardian in "praise of the bat".

7 May 2008
A resounding 99% of MCC members have voted to re-write Law 6. The new law now stipulates that 90% of the volume of bat handles should be made of cane, wood and/or twine. The other 10% can be used "for the purpose of reducing vibration, for example rubber", reports the MCC website. The change will come into effect on 1 October 2008. It will not apply retrospectively in amateur cricket so anyone using a bat after October that will be illegal under the new Law will be able to use the bat for its natural lifespan.

6 May 2008
The MCC are said to be considering a change in Law 6 "restore the balance between bat and ball" according to the Cricinfo website.

The ICC cricket committee has recommended that trials of umpire review systems be approved by the full ICC board when it meets in July. Other suggested changes to the playing conditions include on-field umpires should be permitted to consult the third umpire as to whether a catch has been taken cleanly before making the final decision. The full story can be found on the Cricinfo website.

2 May 2008
The ICC are due to debate what part ball-tracking software, such as "Hawk-Eye", can play in the future of umpiring decisions according to Andrew McGlashan writing in the Cricinfo magazine. Further comment on the same issue is made by Derek Pringle in the Daily Telegraph. The article includes comment by Peter Willey who is uncertain that this is a good idea. Meanwhile, in the Indian Premier League an umpire has been suspended for acceding to a request from Sourav Ganguly to refer a questionable boundary catch to the 3rd umpire. The full story can be found on the Cricinfo website.

29 April 2008
Umpire Darrell Hair will return to top-flight cricket in May when he stands in the second Test between England and New Zealand reports the BBC website today. There is further comment by David Hobbs on the Guardian website and by Christopher Martin-Jenkins in the Times. Coverage of the Harbhajan Singh slapping incident extends to comments made by one of the umpires who is reported to have been "rapped" by the Board of Control for Cricket India, according to the Cricinfo website.

10 April 2008
The ECB website reports that "English umpires are toasting Marston's after they had a new beer named in their honour - the 'Old Umpire' ale is being introduced this season to recognise the efforts of the 33 umpires on the first-class list".

7/8 April 2008
The return of Darrell Hair to the ICC elite umpires panel is welcomed by (First Class) Umpires Association chairman Peter Willey reports the BBC website. The story is also covered on the Cricinfo website. Peter Willey is reported as saying that officials have been let down by the ICC in another item on the Cricinfo website. Former FIFA referee Martin Bodenham has set his sights on completing a unique double by becoming a first-class cricket umpire.

30 March 2008
"The ICC doesn't need to define on-field abuse, as it has recently attempted to do. It needs to ask umpires to report players who indulge in it" according to Ian Chappell writing in Cricinfo magazine.

23 March 2008
The ICC calls for improved player behaviour and in a note, issued to the captains of international teams, Elite Panel umpires and Referees and Chief Executives of Full Members, have asked umpires to apply "a degree of individual interpretation and judgement" to determine whether a player's behaviour had fallen below acceptable standards. The full story can be read on the Cricinfo website.

20 March 2008
"Concerns that the integrity of international cricket is being undermined by sledging, cheating and a growing lack of respect for umpires and opponents has prompted the billion-dollar Indian Premier League to take a stand to reinforce the spirit and laws of the game. The eight captains and players taking part in the six-week tournament will, on the day of the opening match on April 18 in Bangalore, sign a pledge to embrace the Spirit of Cricket" reports Mark Souster in the Times.

Speculation that Darrell Hair may be appointed to stand in the forthcoming England/New Zealand Test series in England in May, according to the BBC website. Meanwhile Darrell Hair is reported as vowing to work on better communication as he returns to standing in Test matches says the Cricinfo website. In addition, the ICC is considering using England's Test series at home to South Africa in July to test a referral system on umpiring decisions, according to Sarah Gwynn writing in the Independent.

19 March 2008
Following news that Darrell Hair has been restored to the ICC elite umpires panel the BBC suggests it is unlikely the ICC will appoint him to stand in matches involving Pakistan. The same story is covered by the Times, the Daily Telegraph, and on the Cricinfo website.

18 March 2008
Darrell Hair has been restored to the ICC elite umpires panel reports the BBC website. There is coverage of the same story on the Cricinfo website. The latest developments are described as a "satisfactory compromise" by Ivo Tennant on Cricinfo.

22 February 2008
The ICC have announced their intention to eliminate sledging in cricket. Further comment on sledging from Lancashire skipper Stuart Law including a suggestion to introduce a yellow and red card system to discipline players.

14 February 2008
A sculpture of ex-Test Match Umpire Dickie Bird is planned for his home town of Barnsley.

12 February 2008
Top international umpire, Simon Taufel, may "walk away" from cricket when his contract with the ICC expires on 31 March 2008 reports the Cricinfo website.

22 January 2008
Former MCC secretary and chief executive Roger Knight OBE will chair the newly-created ECB's Association of Cricket Officials with immediate effect.

15 January 2008
BBC website reports that Steve Bucknor disappointed at being dropped for remainder of Australia/India Test Series. Support grows for Steve Bucknor reports the BBC website following recent controversial Test Match between Australia and India. Mike Selvey, writing in the Guardian thinks cricket faces dark days if Steve Bucknor is bullied out by player power. Further coverage and comment on the issue can be found on Cricinfo website. Australian captain, Ricky Ponting has called for more elite umpires to be added to the ICC panel.

8 November 2007
There are few First Class umpires who have not played First Class cricket. That number will be expanded next season following the appointment of Steve Garratt to the full list of first-class officials. See also ECB media release on 2008 First Class umpire appointments.

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