Craig
World Traveller
Basically Martin Crowe yeasterday came up with this theory, that with the umpire review system, that eventually it will make the game more honest, about the idea of bringing back home umpires for Test matches, but only those that have earnt it. So umpires that have proven themselves (like Simon Taufel) would be allowed to umpire a Boxing Day Test at the MCG or the New Year's Test at the SCG, or Ian Gould could umpire a Test at Lord's (his words not mine). So for the new international umpires, they do the hard yards by traveling around the world and umpire and Tests and ODIs etc. and then when they have more experience, proven themselves, and not to be useless, then an umpire could do a home Test.
The other reasons he stated this was that, for a home umpire, it would be just as special as say Taufel umpiring a Test at the MCG or the SCG as it is for an Aussie Test cricketer playing a home Test there. Also it is a way of cutting down umpire fatigue (and therefore less mistakes) and travelling time. Crowe said that Rudi Koertzen had traveled up to 50 hours to umpire in the 1st Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Dunedin, but ended up having to act as the 3rd umpire instead. Craig McMillan was also in argeement.
IMO, if the umpires are really good enough then yes, I doubt you would get any biased decisions from a guy like Taufel.
The other reasons he stated this was that, for a home umpire, it would be just as special as say Taufel umpiring a Test at the MCG or the SCG as it is for an Aussie Test cricketer playing a home Test there. Also it is a way of cutting down umpire fatigue (and therefore less mistakes) and travelling time. Crowe said that Rudi Koertzen had traveled up to 50 hours to umpire in the 1st Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Dunedin, but ended up having to act as the 3rd umpire instead. Craig McMillan was also in argeement.
IMO, if the umpires are really good enough then yes, I doubt you would get any biased decisions from a guy like Taufel.