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The third eye

In today's television-driven drama of international cricket, the nicest features of the game are sometimes lost in the frenetic hurry of the one-day game. The images are ephemeral and pass so quickly past the eye that they leave little time for a considered reflection on the game that was possible in the days when the world was not in such a desperate hurry.

Take the other night in Lahore for instance. I thought Shaun Pollock made a grand gesture in the Quandrangular tournament match against the West Indies when he asked Jonty Rhodes to take strike when only a run was required for South Africa to meet their highest ever target score in their five-odd years in limited-overs international cricket.

The busy-as-a-beaver cricketer who in recapturing the spirit of the Rhodesian who played for South Africa, Colin Bland, has made fielding a spectacular art form had just struck a boundary off the last ball of the previous over. And Pollock had to take strike in the penultimate over. He walked down the pitch and offered to swap places with Rhodes.

Rhodes was just one short of the half century which mark would have been denied him unless Pollock played out a maiden over. And who would dare play out a maiden over in these days of high stress one-day internationals when the net run rates and such other equations can spoil the thought of any such gestures?

It is not certain the umpires were quite aware of what was going on. As it transpired, Rhodes took strike and hoisted the ball in the general direction of midwicket and someone playfully shouted "catch him, catch him". But then, the fielders were more intent on vacating the field and the ball went through for four. Rhodes crowned his efforts with a half century in that winning hit.

The South Africans had another hero under the glare of the floodlights and a deserving one at that, since Rhodes who is now cast as a one day specialist rarely gets the chance to play himself in. He has simply got to play the role of a batsman who has to get busy with his strike rate from the moment he gets in.

A more true Christian than he is not easily found in the world of sport, his born-again status owed to a troubled childhood in which he suffered from fits. His fulsome faith was sufficient for an umpire to trust him and rule Sachin Tendulkar out in the final of the tri-series early this year in South Africa.

The television replays were to cast such doubts on this breath-taking catch Rhodes, at the fielding position that cricket may in future call "Rhodes" rather than "point", that we were left wondering whether umpires could just go by a fielder's words. The case for greater electronic support for umpires was forcefully argued once again. Umpires can also ask for help from their colleague in front of the third eye on whether a catch has been cleanly taken.

This is a vital reform. It can be argued that the authority of umpires is being eroded because of the electronic eye. The clarity of today's television thanks to advancing technology should, however, be harnessed fully. To pass judgement on boundary hits (four or six in the case of fielders stopping the ball just inside the rope) and to throw light on low catches have become the additional responsibility of the third umpire.

There is one other reform the ICC must consider. Let's face it, umpires who are doing a difficult job in a pressure cooker situation need all the help they can get. Many of them get so stressed out that it seems they are unable to count up to six.

The number of times umpires have robbed teams by calling "Over" when one ball remained to be bowled in course of this quadrangular tournament has made a mockery of the limited-overs game. Now, so much, including the net run rate, is dependent on how many balls are bowled in a one-day international that the matter of when to call "Over" cannot be left to chance.

At a media meeting early this year in South Africa with the ICC bigwig Dr Ali Bacher, I had suggested that there should be a light through which the scorer can acknowledge the umpire's signals and which can also be switched on the minute six legal balls have been bowled in an over. And umpires can be told they cannot call "Over" until the official scorer tells them so. Any clarifications can be sought by the officials in the field, since they are in radio contact through their walke talkies.

Yes, the umpires need all the help they can get to be able to rule fairly in all tight situations, as also in the matter of counting up to six. Today's high-pressure one day cricket demands just that.

R Mohan