WICB warns of 'dangerous precedent'
A dangerous precedent may have been set by the ICC. This is the reaction of West Indies Cricket President, Dr. Julian R. Hunte to the replacement of Umpire Steve Bucknor for the Third Test Match in the Australia/India series.
Dr. Hunte, in a letter to ICC President Ray Mali, stated, "On the surface, the ICC's reaction in this particular instance seems to be extreme."
Dr. Hunte referred to the ICC’s reaction in 2005 when the West Indies, on tour of Australia, lodged a formal protest about the sub-standard umpiring."The ICC’s reaction by CEO Dave Richardson was to acknowledge that errors were made but to insist that ‘the overall standard of umpiring has improved in recent years, particularly with the advent of the elite panel.’ It would be interesting to know what made this situation any different," Dr. Hunte commented. The Umpires on the 2005 tour, where it was agreed that mistakes were made, included Billy Bowden, Mr. Bucknor’s replacement for the Third Test. Mike Procter was the match referee for that series.
The WICB President has asked the ICC to provide additional information which would be useful in reviewing the situation before the Board takes any further steps. Specifically the Board has asked for copies of:
- All communications between the ICC and Mr. Bucknor on this matter.
- All communications between the ICC and any other parties, including Member Boards, on this matter.
- Transcripts of News Releases, Statements and News Conferences on this matter.
- Any comments made by the Match Referee on the Umpiring during the first two Test Matches between India and Australia.
- Any other relevant documents.
Dr. Hunte stressed, “There is no question that even the best umpires make mistakes. They are human and there are circumstances which may affect their judgment. What worries us is whether the action of the ICC in the case of Mr. Bucknor might create even more problems for the ICC and International Cricket down the line.”