By RICHARD BOOCK
Life must sometimes seem a little confusing for top English cricket umpire David Shepherd.
When he played the game a defeated batsman would happily walk, but now the umpire needs a colleague in the stands, slow- motion video, two-way radio and a match referee to persuade him to leave.
The
man who will stand in this week's first test between New Zealand and the West Indies is nothing if not a realist, however, and believes the number of decisions being sent to the third umpire is set to escalate, rather than diminish.
"Television can put us under great pressure, granted," he said. "But it's also a tremendous aid and I'm quite happy to use it in line decisions. At the end of the day it's our job as umpires to get everything right, and if technology can help we should use it.
"As technology improves and expands, so will the number of decisions being referred to the third umpire increase."
Asked if he felt under threat by the developments, Shepherd said he was but an irrelevance, that the important question concerned what was good for the game.
"It's big business now. A lot of things have changed - some good, some bad - the helmet's become a necessity, and the influence of one-day cricket has been huge. I'm afraid it may have even overbalanced a shade.
"But, then again, it brings people to cricket, and anything which attracts so much support has got to be healthy for the game."
The Devon-based professional has umpired at the past five World Cups - including the final in 1996 and 1999 - and will achieve the rare feat of umpiring a test in every test-playing nation when he officiates at Hamilton. He has stood in 47 tests and 92 ODIs.
Shepherd will later fly to Melbourne to stand in the Boxing Day test between Australia and India, during which time he will celebrate his 59th birthday.
