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Bowden

Marcus

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
simply a character.....bowden is good for the umpiring and cricket world as was Dickie Bird, and David Shepheard have now.....as long as the umpire is fair and gives the correct decsions thats great...but bowden brings something else....although no one goes to a game just to see the umpire....in relation to whether his signals are against wot the icc want to see is ridiculous...if we all had the signals that were outlined in tom smiths it would be very boring....umpires need to be original...the recuiting of them is a tough job....how many of us in league cricket have had a umpire that knew all the rules...in fact how many of us have been out to a rubbish decision...having 3 plum lbw shouts turned down by a incompetent is poor...i dont care wot the signals look like...i just wanner know i will have a fair umpire that knows the rules...thats wot we as village cricketers want as do the professionals
 

Crazy Sam

International 12th Man
I don't think the crowds really show up to watch Bowden umpire!
actually, from what i heard he umpired a first-grade game in perth before the perth test match to get in some match practice, and the crowd was in its hundreds apparently.

Most sports have something in their rules which says something to the umpires along the lines of 'commonsense should be used' or similar. In this case commonsense suggests that he is doing a fine job as an umpire and is not bringing the game into disrepute or lowering its quality, so I see no problem with it. Personally, I love watching Bowden and Shepard umpire together, some of Shepard's looks he gives the bowlers when turning down appeals are priceless.
 

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
marc71178 said:
But that doesn't answer my question at all.

The only person I know who would go to a game just to watch an umpire is Eyes.
Characters make cricket more appealing and more people egt involved in it than with no characters being there.

Lets say Tennis and Cricket is on at the same time on tv, and we see Bowden umpiring, there are chances people will stick on to the cricket for some time just to see if he does do some thing funny or how he shows the sign of a boundary. I am speaking about borderline cricket fans and not hard core fans who would watch even if Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are playing.

Thats one small example. Characters draw people to the game in the long run in more ways than you can imagine. You cant say x number of people have gone to see a specific match due to a Bowden but in the larger scheme of things, the help in the popularity.

Also instances like the one mentioned earlier by Crazy Sam show that they do have immediate impact as well.
 

JASON

Cricketer Of The Year
I like Billy, his signals and all. He trains hard to be a good ump, or so I have heard in his interviews.

So far in games I have watched him, he has not made too many wrong decision or calls, IMO.

He and Simon Taufel are more sharper and more reliable than some of the old gravey train hoggers (on the Umpiring panel - you know who they are) who take a laid back approach, and don't seem to care much if they get a few decisions wrong, whereas Billy is the first to put his hand up after watching a replay later or some such thing and acknowledge he got it wrong and he keeps working harder and trying to become a better Umpire all the time !!

Give this man credit for that !! He may be showing funny signals, but there's no harm in that .

Having said that, come the day when he makes a lot of wrong decisions and every drover's dog will be on to him for his funny signals !!
 

Mr Casson

Cricketer Of The Year
Richard said:
You're correct in that he got arthritis that stopped him playing - but not correct in that he's physically unable to straighten his finger, that's just a joke.
Yeah, I think that beyond the entertainment value behind his signals, he actually does do them because of his arthritis. I recall him saying that they are good exercises for him to stave off the pain.
 

Scallywag

Banned
Like I said before I have no problems with Billys umpiring, in fact I think he is a great umpire but I can see something like a player getting off a disputing the umpire charge because Billy used an incorrect signal or some other technicality due to his eccentricity.

BTW I hope I'm wrong but I have seen the way Hair has been victimised.
 

nikhil1772

State Vice-Captain
The dreaded Crooked Finger!

Its wonderful for Cricket to have umpires like Simon Taufell and Billy Bowden who are active and sharp...I used to respect Shepherd and Bucknor...but they are not at their best anymore...ICC should bother about them and not Bowden
 

Craig

World Traveller
I don't have a problem with it. As long as he is correct at the end of the day who cares?
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Mr Casson said:
Yeah, I think that beyond the entertainment value behind his signals, he actually does do them because of his arthritis. I recall him saying that they are good exercises for him to stave off the pain.
But he can definately straighten them - he does more often than not when signalling six.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Current "prejudice hate list":
England - Daryl Harper
Sri Lanka - Darrell Hair (and Ross Emerson - but quite rightly IMO)
New Zealand - Rudi Koertzen
India - Stephen Bucknor
Anyone who knows any others, feel free to add!
 

Scallywag

Banned
What about this little beauty on cricinfo.

"The Indians appealing loudly like querulous children after what seemed like every single ball sent down by one of their spinners. Eleven boys crying wolf at the top of their voices all through the year, and then wondering why even the good shouts were getting turned down."

:D
 

shaka

International Regular
NZ dont like Bucknor either over some dodgy decisions against them, when playing Australia
 

Sehwag309

Banned
Scallywag said:
What about this little beauty on cricinfo.

"The Indians appealing loudly like querulous children after what seemed like every single ball sent down by one of their spinners. Eleven boys crying wolf at the top of their voices all through the year, and then wondering why even the good shouts were getting turned down."

:D
hehehe, he's extracted sarcasm and humour at the same time! Surely has no clue abt Spin bowling though
 

Josh

International Regular
Richard said:
Current "prejudice hate list":
England - Daryl Harper
Sri Lanka - Darrell Hair (and Ross Emerson - but quite rightly IMO)
New Zealand - Rudi Koertzen
India - Stephen Bucknor
Anyone who knows any others, feel free to add!
Australia - David Orchard. Gave Langer & Hayden out each twice in a series LBW when they'd either hit the ball or it had pitched a long way outside leg stump.

Langer smashed glass in the dressing room because of it.
 

Richard Rash

U19 Cricketer
NZ Peter Parker.. I wasn't aware that we had a problem with Rudi Koertzen. Ian Robinson that tosser from Zimbabwe who cost us a series victory over Australia in 2001.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
I've never really held grudges against any umpires EXCEPT...Ian Robertson.

I used to get very angry with umpiring decisions but i've learned to accept that every side will get their fair share of poor ones.
 

Josh

International Regular
Tim said:
I've never really held grudges against any umpires EXCEPT...Ian Robertson.

I used to get very angry with umpiring decisions but i've learned to accept that every side will get their fair share of poor ones.
That's a fair assumption
 

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