'He subsequently said no' - Simon Taufel recalls challenging Sehwag to take up umpiring

Legendary umpire Simon Taufel has revealed that he once challenged former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag to take up umpiring, but the blistering opener turned it down.

Umpiring is a tough and thankless job, one that Taufel nailed to the hilt during his decorated career in the 2000s.

Taufel was adjudged the ICC' Umpire of the Year' for five consecutive seasons between 2004-08 and is widely hailed as one of the greatest-ever officials.

During his recent speech at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai, Taufel recalled how Sehwag used to challenge his decisions while standing at square-leg, which urged him to throw a challenge at the former cricketer.

"I remember putting it on his head a few years ago, and I'm challenging Virender to take it up because he is used to umpire next to me standing at square leg and telling me what was out what not was out. But he subsequently said no, that's not what he wants to do," Taufel said.

Apart from Sehwag, Taufel once spoke to former South African pacer Morne Morkel about taking up umpiring.

He also believes that the likes of Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin can become great umpires. However, he also added that one needs a different kind of personality to nail the job.

"You have really got to have a personality and desire to want to do it. I've spoken to some players like Morne Morkel, who's been interested in taking up umpiring, but as I said before, it's not for everyone. I'd love to see Virender Sehwag, maybe even Virat Kohli or Ravichandran Ashwin take it up. They seem to be very well on top of the laws and playing conditions of the game at the moment," Taufel added.

On his experience as an umpire, Taufel said:

"It's never boring, except when you might be umpiring in a very dry environment in Karachi or similar places. There's not much happening in terms of wickets. But what I would say is that we've tried to make the course engaging, and umpiring itself is not for everyone. You know, it is challenging. People say how do you concentrate for long periods of time? And the answer is, well, you don't; you just look at bite-sized pieces. It's very rewarding," he said.

Taufel called time on his decorated umpiring career following the completion of the 2012 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.