By IANS
Melbourne : Former Australian test batsman Dean Jones has asked former cricketers to take up the job of umpiring, media reported here Tuesday.
“The best umpires, probably apart from Simon Taufel, are the guys who used to be players like David Shepherd and Dicky Bird,” Jones was quoted as saying in Herald Sun Monday.
“They are the guys who know the sights to look for and the special sounds of bats and pads and the individual sounds of different grounds.
“It’s time for cricket to be pro-active. We have former players Rod Tucker and Paul Reiffel in the system and we need more. Maybe we have to go to them and get them involved for a couple of years and see whether it works,” he said.
The standard of umpiring in Australia this summer has been poor, with overseas veterans Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen declining to unacceptable levels.
Jones urged Cricket Australia to encourage the former cricketers in officiating the game.