THE WEST Indies cricket team's knack of losing somehow inspired Michael Nicholson to put pen to paper and compose what was to be the Letter of Day on December 22, 2003.
Yesterday, Mr. Nicholson was the recipient of The Gleaner's esteemed Silver Pen Award for the month of December for his letter to the Editor, which was entitled 'Should umpires get more hi-tech help?'
The light bulb came to him late last year while he nervously watched the Test series between West Indies and Zimbabwe. A game, Mr. Nicholson believed, the West Indies should have taken home in fine style. "... But as usual, the West Indies batsmen started to give away their wickets. We were saved by the skin of our teeth, we very nearly lost the match," he said.
POWER BROKERS
His letter suggested that the power brokers in the world of cricket should broaden the scope of plays that the third umpire helps to adjudicate.
"Currently, they only use it for run-outs and stumpings. But, I think it is needed for LBW and caught behind," said Mr. Nicholson, who is an avid cricket fan. Now 49, he has been playing the game for more than 30 years, but has been reduced to a mere spectator because of an injury he sustained in his youthful days.
A pace bowler during his heyday, he broke his shoulder while playing another sport football when he was 21. But, it was not until he reached into his 40s that the nagging injury sidelined him for good.
The man from Liguanea, St. Andrew, said he was puzzled as to why the cricket authorities have not yet broadened the spectrum of the third umpire's involvement in the sport. He argued that because of the advent of advanced technology, the fan who could be halfway around the world and watching the game via television has the ability to make a better call than the umpire who is on the field, because of the technology applied during play-by-play commentary. This, he said, should not be and is extremely crucial, as the umpire's decision is the one that counts.
"He has only one real-time sighting (and) this exposes the umpire to ridicule. Man seh you a thief or you make the man them buy you out."
As a result Mr. Nicholson said he would not want to be in an umpire's shoes. At least not until they are allowed to make use of the technology available to others.
