Simon Taufel on ‘scrutiny’ of officiating in India-Pakistan matches - You had people with machine guns guarding you
India Today
Simon Taufel won the ICC Umpire of the Year award 5 times and last officiated in an international match way back in 2012.
Former international umpire Simon Taufel talked about the atmosphere at a cricket venue while officiating in matches between India and Pakistan. Taufel, who won the award for the ICC Umpire of the Year five times from 2004 to 2008, said that “presidential-level security” used to be in place during the matches between the two Asian Giants.
The 51-year-old Taufel said that amidst all the security during the high-voltage matches, it was necessary to focus on the task.
“The India-Pakistan clashes came with added scrutiny and expectations because the game is being analyzed by all the armchair experts,” Taufel was quoted as saying.
“You had people with machine guns guarding you and presidential-level security was assigned to the teams. You have to remain grounded as I tried my level best to focus on the task ahead and take things one ball at a time,” he stated.
India and Pakistan only take part in tournaments, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Due to political tensions between the two nations, they don’t engage in bilateral affairs.
Back in 2012, Taufel bid adieu to international umpiring after being deemed as one of the best in his field. Taufel said that he misses the excitement of officiating in big matches, but sounded grateful for spending enough time with his family.
“I miss being part of the excitement of international cricket, but I don’t miss the travel and time away from family. I certainly don’t miss the scrutiny. It is now time to help the new generation and I am loving every bit of that,” he added.
