I could watch Sachin Tendulkar batting for ages: Steve Davis

Umpiring is not an easy job and everyone’s cup of tea. However, Steve Davis is one of those who have done this job for more than 25 years, officiating 57 Tests, 137 One-Day Internationals, and 26 Twenty20 Internationals.

Umpires are the law keepers as well as the decision makers of the game and have to be immaculate all the time and cannot afford to make even the slightest mistake. With the introduction of technology, the job has become even tough with camera keeping a track of the game standing at the bowling end.

It is a thankless job where can’t be in favor of anyone. Every batsman dislikes seeing the dreaded index finger going up which means they have to leave the crease. At the same moment, those aggressive fast bowlers hate to their hard appeal being turned down. The umpires make sure this game is played properly.

Steve, in a recent interview with Cricbuzz, spoke about the ‘thankless’ job and took us through the game from an umpire’s perspective.

He begins with explaining the role of the on-field umpires, third umpire and the fourth umpire. “The on-field ones are the main managers of the game. The third umpire is virtually there to support them”

“There’s also a fourth umpire who is a backup to those three. His main job is to bring a drink out for the ones on the field. (Laughs!) The on-field ones virtually make every decision but sometimes with the assistance of the third.”

Steve also mentioned that how the urge to stay connected with the game slowly made got him inclined towards umpiring.

“I played cricket and wanted to stay involved on the weekends. After a few years it kept getting higher and higher and suddenly it became serious. I had no aspirations at the start of being a Test umpire or anything; just wanted to do something on the weekends with cricket and it turned out nicely.”

Well, if you are associated with the game for more than 25 years, you see a lot of changes happening and witness how the game evolves. And, according to Steve, the biggest change to have happened in the game is the arrival of T20 cricket. He feels that teams as wells as individuals have become fearless and everything is possible on the field now.

“I think the biggest change has been the advent of Twenty20 and the flow-on effect of how the teams go about scoring runs. There’s no fear anymore. There’s no safe target. . You see it so often where huge scores are chased down because people have brought a new aspect to the game, even into Test cricket like fast scoring, like the Australians do. Scoring over 350 runs a day was unheard in the years gone by which I think is great for the spectators.”

He has watched many great cricketers play. But among all the players he has seen playing its Sachin Tendulkar who the English umpire has loved to watch the most. “Sachin Tendulkar was terrific to umpire; what a talented player and such a humble guy. I could watch him batting for ages which I was lucky enough to do”

Umpiring is not only about being straight faced and being tough on the players. They have their own fun moment in the middle. The 63-year-old shares one of his funniest memory on-field which happened during a South Africa and England Test match.

“Jonathan Trott reminded me of this the other day, actually of the time at Centurion where I was umpiring South Africa and England and Trott and Pietersen were batting. I had to go on the radio and I said, “It’s South Africa versus England and I’m the only bloody Pom out here!” I was born in England and nobody else on the field was. Trotty laughed and he said, ‘it’s very hard to concentrate when you come up with something like that!”

Steve Davis also has advice for aspiring umpires. He said that it’s very difficult to become a top panel umpire. In his opinion, an umpire at any level must not go into the role of umpiring thinking of becoming a Test umpire. Instead, he must he should focus on getting to the next level whenever the opportunity comes.

“I often say to new umpires that if you’re there to enjoy the game, okay…have some ambitions to get as far as you can, but don’t go into the game thinking you want to be a Test umpire. In all likelihood, you’re not going to get there as there are only 12 spots in the world on the top panel. If you’re umpiring well at any level you’re at, see how you go at the next level if the opportunity comes. If you find that you’ve reached a level that’s enough, that’s great. We need umpires in all sorts of grades of cricket as long as they’re enjoying the game.”