In a recent development, former International Cricket Council (ICC) umpire Steve Bucknor has recalled incidents where he erroneously adjudged former Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar out on a couple of occasions.
Bucknor spoke about a match at Gabba in 2003 and a match against Pakistan at Eden Gardens in 2005. On both occasions, the master batsman was in fact not out but Bucknor had made an error in judgement and gave it out.
“Tendulkar was given out on two different occasions when those were mistakes. I do not think any umpire would want to do a wrong thing. It lives with him and his future could be jeopardised,” Bucknor said on Mason and Guests radio programme in Barbados.
“To err is human. Once in Australia, I gave him out leg before wicket and the ball was going over the top. Another time, in India it was caught behind. The ball deviated after passing the bat but there was no touch. But the match was at Eden Gardens and when you are at the Eden and India is batting, you hear nothing.
“Because 100,000 spectators are making noise. Those were the mistakes and I was unhappy. I am saying a human is going to make mistakes and accepting mistakes are part of life,” he added.
The legendary former umpire feels that the review system has indeed improved the standards of umpiring.
“I am not certain if it affects the confidence of umpires, but I know it has improved umpiring,” Bucknor said.
“It has improved umpiring because there was a time when we were saying the batsman was so-called playing down the line, therefore he is not going to be given out leg before, but if the technology is saying the ball is hitting, then you have to give him out. So, we learn from the technology.
“The umpires who do not enjoy having technology around, I hope that they have a rethink. What it does if you make a mistake it can be corrected on the field,” Bucknor said.
“Now thinking about when I was umpiring and I gave a batsman out who was not out, realizing I made a mistake it took a long time to fall asleep that night. Now you can fall asleep quickly because the correct decision is eventually given.”