During his stay, Simon Taufel, the recently hired umpires education consultant for the Bangladesh Cricket Board, stated on Saturday, September 13, that he hopes to improve the environment for referees and umpires.
Simon Taufel, a former umpire for the ICC Elite Panel, agreed to a two-year contract with BCB. He arrived at BCB headquarters in Mirpur to discuss his plans after arriving from India in the morning. He will start by supervising the calibre of the local umpiring for the National Cricket League (NCL) T20, which starts at three locations on Sunday, September 14.
“Being a part of that journey for the next few years makes me feel humbled. In his introductory remarks, Simon Taufel stated, “I’m here to help, to create and support a better environment for umpires and referees to be able to explore their potential – to be able to grow, develop, to serve Bangladesh cricket, to improve the standard of domestic cricket, and to make sure that they are going to be the best that they can be.”
“It takes a lot of effort to accomplish that. We must find talent and establish some minimal requirements. In order for the proper referees and umpires to advance and, like Sykat, position themselves for international accolades, we must establish a system of openness, certainty, and meritocracy. We hope that the world’s top match officials will emerge from this region, develop their skills, and support international cricket,” he stated.
Simon Taufel asked everyone to have patience as the development project will take time to generate quality match officials and umpires. According to the Australian, India is benefiting from an initiative that was developed with umpires’ future in mind.
The upcoming years are something we’re excited about. Today marks the beginning of that work. Throughout that process, I would ask that everyone exercise patience, respect, and support.
It will take a while, but that’s alright. Today is the first day,” Simon Taufel stated.
“After working with the BCCI system for more than ten years, we witnessed a protracted absence of an Indian elite panel umpire. Among those who passed through that method were S. Ravi and Nitin Menon. To become an overnight success, ten years are needed. There is a long, long trip ahead, one that requires support from both on and off the pitch.
We’re starting today, then. That kind of dedication is necessary, but I’m not claiming that it will take another ten years to see another Bangladeshi elite panel umpire. However, Saikat (Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid) is deserving of a great deal of praise for her tenacity, commitment, and fortitude—her ability to never give up.
Because he is currently a member of the ICC elite panel of umpires, Saikat is not just a role model but also a living example of tenacity, resolve, and fortitude. And many more umpires, both male and female, should see that message, in my opinion.
Giving referees and male and female umpires greater access and possibilities is one of the things we need to do here. Saikat is evidence of that framework. “I hope he’s not the last one,” he continued.
74 Tests, 174 ODIs, and 34 T20Is have been played over Simon’s remarkable career, which has included important ICC tournaments and the Ashes.
Taufel was greeted by Saikat in the Bangladesh setup.
“I’m not sure how many people know, but I played my first two ODI matches with him. I have always expressed my admiration for him. He has spent many years working on umpire education, thus he was more than just an umpire. Despite the fact that we’ve been umpiring really well lately, I hope Simon keeps improving. In the future, we expect to see more top-tier umpires,” Saikat stated.
“Developing a top-tier umpire takes a lot of time. Here, there are no short cuts. It requires tenacity and resolve, but most importantly, we must alter our perspective. Here, there is a slight lack of respect for the umpires. Our country is particularly focused on cricket. However, based on the cricket board’s current actions, I think this area will also improve.
“We must have dreams. There will be many more elite panel umpires in the future, so I’m not the last one. More elite panel umpires will emerge when we collaborate, when there is structure and education. We will have a lot more top-tier umpires in the future if we successfully implement the system.