Australian umpire suffers horrific blow on head during Ranji Trophy match

Umpire John Ward being helped into the ambulance after the terrifying accident

A terrifying period of time was played out on the field during the first day of the Ranji Trophy match between Punjab and Tamil Nadu at Dindigul, when a blistering shot off the bat of Punjab’s Brainder Sran struck the back of the head of visiting Australian umpire John Ward, who immediately clutched the back of his head and collapsed onto the ground.

The incident occurred during the 48^th over of Punjab’s batting innings, with spinner DT Chandrasekar bowling to an aggressive Sran, who was batting on 30 from 18 deliveries.

A loud sound was heard when the ball struck the skull of the umpire after a wild swing of the bat from Sran; the umpire fell down and remained motionless for a few minutes. The whole crowd gasped and stood numb in shock for a while, till Paschim Pathak, the square-leg umpire, and the players raced towards Ward.

Officials from both teams also came rushing into the field, and soon an ambulance was driven inside the boundary ropes too. It took fifteen minutes before the ambulance could start on its way to the nearest hospital, which is 30 kms away, but thankfully Ward was seen to be back on his feet by this time.

No threat to Ward’s life: TNCA

“There is no threat to his life,” told a TNCA official to Wisden, indicating that the worst is over. “He is fine at the moment. He will remain under observation the whole of tomorrow before the doctors take a call.

“He has a minor swelling where he was hit, but he has begun eating solid food.”

Prakash Bhatt, the match referee, called it one of the most horrific sights he had seen on a cricket field. “I could hear it from where I was sitting,” said Bhatt. “I don’t think I have ever been that afraid.”

He related the incident saying, “Ward thought he could stop the ball with his hand, so he put his hand up. Unfortunately, he lost sight of the ball and then had no choice but to duck. If the ball was hit slower, he might have been able to get out of the way but it was too fast.”

The danger faced by umpires

The Melbourne-based Ward is in India as part of an umpire exchange programme between the BCCI and Cricket Australia. He officiated in Karnataka’s Ranji tie against Delhi last week as well.

Ward has stood in domestic tournaments in New Zealand and South Africa as part of the umpire exchange initiative between India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. The 53-year-old has officiated in six ODIs and six T20s, and was part of the tri-series in Australia in January against England and India.

The latest incident has re-ignited the debate on whether protective equipment should be provided to on-field umpires. Notably, Hillel Awasker, an Israeli umpire with Indian roots, passed away after being hit by a ball during officiating exactly one year and three days ago.