In this era of social media, people are always on their haunches to rebuke any act which they deem unsportsmanlike or beyond the spirit of the game. It puts players under tremendous pressure to always look good on the field and do only the right things. But, end of the day, players are human beings and are bound to commit errors at some stage.
Similarly, it is natural for any player to be overawed by the situation and lose his or her cool. When the stakes are high, the pressure is riding and the millions all around the world are watching you, it becomes tough not to be overwhelmed by the situation of the match. It can be understood by the fact that even Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is one of the calmest and the coolest the game has ever seen was fired up in the game between the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals.
Virat Kohli and Yuzvendra Chahal from the Royal Challengers Bangalore were also angry in the game against Mumbai Indians over the no-ball controversy. Clearly, it is easy to be just fans and judge players from the outside. Entering their shoes when they are under pressure as they see the game slipping away is virtually impossible. The Indian Premier League is arguably the biggest T20 league in the world and it invites some of the best players across the globe. They are fierce competitors and are ready to put everything at stake to win the game for their teams. Having said that they don’t lose their cool for trivial reasons. The outraged reactions by the players have been evoked by some atrocious calls by the umpires this season in the IPL. Whether it was the no-ball controversy in the game between Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore or the confusion in the game between the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals, it’s the umpires who have sparked the debates and not the players.
We say the players should not cross ‘’the line’’ and play within the spirit of the game but the definition of ‘’the line’’ is pretty ambiguous. It is subjective as different people have different opinions on it. However, what should not be subjective is the standard of umpiring in such a major tournament.
Clearly, players were angry and perhaps had the right to be as well. We must understand their plight and also take note of the fact that such sub-standard umpiring is bound to frustrate players. So, why should only the players be under scrutiny? Umpires, like players, must also have a code of conduct and performance standards. They are major stakeholders of the game as the result of the game can be defined by their decisions.
So, not only the players but the umpires must also be in the firing line when they don’t perform up to the expectations. They must be thoroughly acquainted with the laws of the game and must have brains to execute them properly and in right situations. People claim that umpires are humans but so are players. Why should they go away with bad performances?
All the cricket pundits have been reiterating the fact that technology must be used properly to rectify the umpiring blunders when it comes to close calls, particularly related to no balls. That ought to happen sooner or later. If you have the technology, it must be used judiciously as well.
While all the debate has been around the fact whether Dhoni was right or not to storm on the field, it is also imperative to grasp the fact that he did that for a good enough reason. Perhaps his way of arguing with the umpires by going in the field of play was wrong but it was guided by a right intention.
Therefore, umpires must set high standards as some of the players do and avoid any sort of controversies that harm this beautiful game.
