Bucknored

Steve Bucknor, the umpire who has a history of confrontations with the Indian team, ensured that his 100th Test would not be forgotten easil...

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Steve Bucknor, the umpire who has a history of confrontations with the Indian team, ensured that his 100th Test would not be forgotten easily—for the wrong reasons. Today, Sachin Tendulkar walked back to the dressing room with tears in his eyes as Bucknor declared him out at 52 after his bat clearly missed the ball sent down by Abdul Razzaq and none of the Pakistanis, other than the bowler, appealed.

‘‘Sachin had tears in his eyes as he returned to the dressing room,’’ a member of the Indian team said. ‘‘He just couldn’t express his shock at the decision. He was furious,’’ he added.

A senior member of the team asked how it was possible for Bucknor to see the ball when the batsmen could not see it clearly. The thought of Bucknor umpiring an Indian game scared him, he added. ‘‘I feel like I am against the world’s greatest bowler, when he is umpiring. I can’t say a thing to protest,’’ he added.

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When told that India had won only four of the 17 Tests that he has umpired, he replied, ‘‘Can it be a coincidence?’’

Since 1992, Bucknor has tormented the Indian team with his decisions—from the first post-Apartheid series against South Africa to the Pakistan series last year (see box). In Pakistan, he turned down several genuine appeals and gestured at wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel to keep quite in a manner which was humiliating.

Sachin Tendulkar, though, has been pulled aside for special treatment. ‘‘One decision from an umpire can make a match. This is not about individuals; this is about winning or losing. It could be very costly for the team,’’ the senior team member told The Indian Express.

‘‘At that time, the innings was well set and we were well set,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t mind losing but we must go down fighting, not like this. This is unfair.’’

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‘‘What is intriguing is that most of the decisions are not even fifty-fifty. They just keep going against us. There is a pattern,’’ he said. ‘‘If I talk about it on the record, I will be in serious trouble with the ICC.’’

‘‘This can’t go on. This is not a one-off (incident). This just goes on and on,’’ said another player, expressing his disappointment at the helplessness that a player feels in times like these.

Most team members complained that a player has no power to complain against the decisions and even the captain’s report doesn’t help much. ‘‘The report is submitted after the match, by then it is all over. The fate of the match is decided by then,’’ a player said

BUCKNOR vs INDIA

		• Steve Bucknor: Umpired in 17 India Tests, India has won four of them 1992-93: India vs South Africa, Johannesburg With South Africa reeling at 73-5, Indians appeal for Jhonty Rhodes’ run-out. Bucknor refuses to take Third Umpire’s help. Replays show Rhodes, who went on to play a match-saving innings, was clearly short of the crease. *Result: Match drawn* 1998-99: India vs Pakistan, Kolkata Shoaib Akhtar obstructs Sachin Tendulkar as he fails to make it to the crease. Bucknor turns a blind eye and refers the matter to the TV umpire. As the red light flashes and Tendulkar walks to the dressing room, Eden erupts. *Result: Pakistan won* Story continues below this ad 2003-04: India vs Australia, Brisbane Tendulkar is given out lbw when the ball hit on a knee roll and the line was just outside the off-stump. The bowler was Jason Gillespie and India slips after a good start *Result: Match Drawn* 2003-04: India vs Australia, Sydney India is on the verge of history of a series win on the final day. Bucknor refuses a number of close leg-before decisions against the Aussies. India falls short of time. Skipper Sourav Ganguly in his post-series report to ICC gives Bucknor very poor ratings with adverse comments. *Result: Match drawn* 2003-04: India vs Pakistan, Lahore India is already on the backfoot in the series for the first time after an awful batting display. Five opportunities missed while bowling, four of them adjudicated by Bucknor. This forces Indian coach John Wright to complain to match-referee Ranjan Madugalle during the day’s play. *Result: India loses*