ECB announces changes in umpiring panel

The England cricket board (ECB) has created a new team of 34-strong professional umpires. This occurred following an independent review into the officiating of top-level cricket in England and Wales, with Sue Redfern becoming the first woman on the panel.

It had been earlier reported that racism took place in the appointment of officials in England. ECB was accused of overseeing years of racism.

In response, the ECB launched an independent review “to understand how the ECB can continue to best attract, appoint, develop, performance manage and evaluate match officials from all backgrounds”. This would make it a very transparent system and help the board address the issues. 

Among the key recommendations was the removal of the distinction between a full-time first-class panel of umpires and a part-time reserve list, which has now been adopted ahead of the 2022 season.

Neil Snowball, the ECB’s managing director of county cricket, said: “This is significant because every umpire on the Professional Umpires’ Team will now have the performance and financial support to make umpiring their sole career. This would allow them to focus more on their responsibility and perform to the best of their abilities.

“Previously, Reserve List umpires have had to juggle their umpiring commitments with other work. Those umpires are now included in the single pool with more time and resources given to them to focus on developing their skills and ability as umpires,” he added. 

A major effect this would have is motivating more people to take up umpiring as their full-time career. This will increase the competition and motivate people to keep improving. “This also sends a clear message to anyone who wants to be an umpire that structures and support are in place that makes umpiring a viable and attractive career choice,” said Neil. 

Sue Redfern had earlier become the first woman to officiate in a men’s international game in England. She was the fourth umpire for a match between England and Sri Lanka in Cardiff. Now she is likely to become the first woman to officiate a county championship game. 

“The most significant aspect of this opportunity for me is that, for the first time, I can focus all my energy on umpiring as a career,” Redfern said. “This is my first full-time contract as an umpire. That means a lot to me as it allows me to challenge myself to take the next step in my career.”