Bucknor

[quytst0rm]

Bucknor riles the Indians

Wisden Cricinfo staff

January 24, 2004



India have formally protested to Clive Lloyd after Steve Bucknor was caught mimicking Rahul Dravid on camera at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. The team are said to be furious about the fact that Bucknor greeted Dravid's arrival at the crease by rolling his fingers over the ball, a reference to the ball-tampering allegation that cost Dravid 50% of his match fee in Brisbane, while looking at him suggestively.

According to the team management, the innuendo was blatant. It enraged the Indians so much that they took the unprecedented step of reporting Bucknor to the ICC match referee. Shivlal Yadav, the team manager, told the Times of India that Lloyd had promised to look into the matter. The incident merely highlighted the team's disenchantment with Bucknor, who hasn't distinguised himself with some poor decision-making over the course of the summer.

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I don't know what he meant to do but for a guy in his position its very rude and disrespectful. I hope he really doesn't hate the indians as it is believed by many. But this incident should be taken care of.

 

[Pratters]

Bucknor has made a lot of silly faces at the Indians every time they have appealed. He has also been pretty ordinary with both teams. He didnt even call the third umpire when V.V.S.Laxman was clearly out in the last V.B.Series game and was pretty inconsistent with the wides as well. I have always liked Bucknor and he may well be going through a bad patch.

One thing I havent liked are his faces and I frankly dont think he thinks too much about the Indians. Thats annoying for me. Specially since he is turning up wrong decisions pretty much every second match.

 

[Jono]

I was absolutely shocked when I saw that. I screamed "What the hell?" Apparently players have to give umpires respect but umpires can do that. I am not accusing Bucknor of being biased towards the Indians, I'm just accusing him of being an idiot.

 

[Gaijin-san]

I saw it too. While I noted it for being a bit strange, I also realise that there was no malice in it. What reason is there to be offended at that?

 

[Jono]

What reason is there to be ****ed off when someone is appealing for a wicket? If he wants "respect" because he's an umpire it should be a two way street. The fact is he is not acting the way an umpire should, and if players have to be extra careful they way they treat them so should umpires. Bucknor doesn't know the meaning of consistency, whether it be the way he treats players or the way he umpires.

 

[NikhilN]

bucknor is a moron who couldnt be a good umpire for his life.

 

[Bouncer]

Man right now i so want him to be standing in India Pakistan series...lol

 

[NikhilN]

Man right now i so want him to be standing in India Pakistan series...lol

if that would be the case then bucknor needs to check how secure he will be there and not india :P

 

[Jono]

^ LOL!

Bucknor should of went to New Zealand and we should of kept Billy Bowden for the VB series. An umpire who can umpire well, keep his sense of humour while... wait for it... having respect for the players :O

 

[Linda]

I saw it, and I thought while it was a little unproffesional, it was just a bit of humour. Reporting him is a bit over the top, theres no need to get all sensitive about it.

 

[Slow Love™]

Bucknor's performance this season has been nothing short of eccentric. His umpiring mistakes aside (which have been numerous, and in some cases, egregious), his behaviour has been really poor towards the Indians, IMO.

He has crooked his finger at them, he's been surly, he's complained that he couldn't give LBW's because the bowler's follow through was in his way, and he's been extremely demonstrative with his annoyance in a way in which I believe has been highly unprofessional.

The shining of the ball taunt was just icing on the cake.

I don't know if his wife left him, or if maybe an Indian player (or players) said something to him that offended him near the start of the summer, or if he's just getting funny in his old age, but I think India were well within their rights to make an official complaint. I don't know what's happened to Bucknor, but I do believe that the officials are reluctant to do anything about him because of his previous exemplary record. Well, that didn't work for Dravid, and it shouldn't work for Bucknor.

I would have been tempted to throw him off the international panel after his bizarre antics (and downright poor umpiring) this summer.

 

[Mingster]

Bucknor obviously did not think that Dravid did that ball-tampering on purpose and just did that action as a joke.

What's wrong with adding some spice to cricket? I wonder if Billy Bowden did that, what stick he would get....

 

[Slow Love™]

Bucknor obviously did not think that Dravid did that ball-tampering on purpose and just did that action as a joke.

What's wrong with adding some spice to cricket? I wonder if Billy Bowden did that, what stick he would get....

Probably some, although in his defence, he's had a decent relationship with the Indians this tour - unlike Bucknor. It's no surprise that the Indians took it badly, because their relationship with him has been poor all summer. He should have known better, and it was entirely unprofessional. Perhaps if the joke wasn't at Dravid's expense, it might have gone over better.

 

[marc71178]

bucknor is a moron who couldnt be a good umpire for his life.

That statement is not one borne out of anything except malice.

 

[marc71178]

What's wrong with adding some spice to cricket? I wonder if Billy Bowden did that, what stick he would get....

I wouldn't mind betting he wouldn't get any to be honest.

 

[Mingster]

I wouldn't mind betting he wouldn't get any to be honest.

I'm sure he would.

I mean he got stick from the Aussie media for just bloody hugging Steve Waugh and taking stumps away from the game.

 

[V Reddy]

I saw it, and I thought while it was a little unproffesional, it was just a bit of humour. Reporting him is a bit over the top, theres no need to get all sensitive about it.

First of all Bucknor and the Indian team haven't been the best of mates this season . It's like you and me are not the best of mates . You do a wrong thing and i go out and mimic it in front of all. Not many would take it lightly and Ganguly is the one of the last persons to take it lightly.

More than the umpiring it is his on field behaviour which is making the Indian team angry IMO. Shepherd, Bowden , Harper ,etc,. have given bad decisions against them too but one doesn't see the Indian team complaining against them.

 

[PY]

Respect is indeed a two way thing. They weren't showing him any when they were appealing every ball because they must have felt he was weak enough to give in to those tactics.

I personally hope that Lloyd throws it out.

 

[Sudeep]

I think that Steve Bucknor is just too annoyed with the Indians. It's no secret that Indians over-appeal and waste time on the field. It's a fact, and can't be changed. While some of Bucknor's actions may not please the Indians, I don't see any point in blaming him. He's doing his job his own way... And I don't see a reason why he should change.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Bucknor's story is that he was examining the surface of the ball..