Simon Taufel: "Double-edged" DRS making umpiring tougher

Former Test umpire Simon Taufel has admitted that decision making in the game is tougher today than it was 20 years ago, and that technology and reviews have put more pressure on umpires and created a double-edged sword.

Taufel, who acts as an umpiring training manager for the ICC, discussed DRS, which has faced a number of controversies during the current Ashes series.

A former elite umpire, Taufel said: “Decision-making in today’s game is in my opinion tougher than when I started umpiring 22 years ago because more people see evidence that we may not get to see on the ground at the time, Anyone who watches the game on the ground, on the giant replay screen or on TV, will assess each and every decision of the umpires and also make an overall judgment of their performance.

“The decision of the umpire is scrutinized by all these cameras including slow motion, ultra-motion, Hot Spot front on, Hot Spot leg-side, Hot Spot off-side, ball tracking and prediction, Snicko, stump audio, the mat. There is no doubt we now have a lot more ‘armchair’ experts; everyone umpires the game by watching television.

“The invasive nature of this broadcasting has a double edge to it – it does put more pressure on players and umpires. Not too much now happens on a cricket field that is not captured by a camera, a microphone or piece of technology. This has the ability to bring out the best in the game and also the worst.”

“The technology genie has been let out of the bottle and it’s not going to go back in. I would simply advocate that we look at ways to be as pragmatic as possible so we can get more correct decisions and deliver more justice.”

“We should be asking: ‘Are we using technology in the best way to serve the players, supporters, umpires and values of our game?’ No matter what system of technology review we implement in our game, it will not be perfect or 100%.”

He also believed that the authorities need to be pragmatic in their use of the technology and the umpires should also be from neutral states.