Legendary umpire Dickie Bird on Tuesday advised Steve Bucknor to call it a day, saying the West Indian had “gone on too long”, reports PTI from London.
Bucknor, 61, was replaced for the upcoming Perth Test between India and Australia after a series of mistakes in the previous Test in Sydney, which the visitors lost by 122 runs.
“When you get to that age... I have said to Steve, ‘Don’t go on too long, get out while you are still respected. I think he has gone on too long,” Bird, a veteran of 66 Tests who retired in 1996, said.
“If they (India) feel that an umpire is not up to I think they have the right to say so. That is my view of it,” Bird told Sky Sport News.
“But I do believe if umpires are appointed to a Test match they should see it through. That has not happened in this instance.”
Inzy blasts Aussies
Lambasting the Australian team for their double standards in the racism row, former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq said the Asian players are always at the recieving end and the Aussies are getting the taste of their own medicine now, reports UNI from Lahoore.
“The Asian players are facing the curse of racism for quite some time,” said Inzamam. “In fact, they are treated very harshly whenever there is a row between them and the Australians.”
Inzamam also said that racial taunt allegation was more insulting than the ban and reckons that BCCI have done the right thing.
Hussain slams ICC
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has lambasted International Cricket Council (ICC) for bowing down to Indian cricket board and appeasing them on every count to save the tour, reports PTI from London.
Hussain said ICC’s sacking of Steve Bucknor and putting Brad Hogg on dock on charges of hurling abusive language on Anil Kumble and Co. during the controversy-ridden Sydney Test was kowtowing to the financial clout of BCCI. Hussain said he sympathised with India for having to lose the Sydney Test because of umpiring blunders but was critical of India having asked ICC to sack Bucknor.
“India lose my sympathy for the way they have seemingly dictated who umpires their next Test, Hussain wrote in his column in Daily Mail.