Jeff Crowe was the blundering match referee at the heart of the farcical World Cup final . He once captained NZ.
Jeff has put up his hand admitting responsibility for the embarrassing cock-up in the final minutes of the game when the Aussies began jumping about like kangaroos thinking they had won the match and the umpires told them “its too early mates to celebrate”; which made Ricky Ponting tell umpire Aleem Dar “'Look mate, we've played the 20 overs, we've finished the game.'"
Crowe said: “In hindsight, I should have known the rules and said the game had been called off." All the same, he tried to shift the blame on the third umpire Rudi Koertzen as the one who “may have initiated the process leading to chaotic scenes at the climax of the game.”
How could Jeff have got it wrong, especially when he had elder brother Martin to turn to on matters relating to? Martin is the one who delivered the 2006 Colin Cowdrey lecture. In his lecture brother Martin spoke his mind against the use of technology to assist umpiring, except to determine such matters as line calls for run outs. He also slipped in some comments about his zero tolerance to chucking.
Jeff has put up his hand admitting responsibility for the embarrassing cock-up in the final minutes of the game when the Aussies began jumping about like kangaroos thinking they had won the match and the umpires told them “its too early mates to celebrate”; which made Ricky Ponting tell umpire Aleem Dar “'Look mate, we've played the 20 overs, we've finished the game.'"
Crowe said: “In hindsight, I should have known the rules and said the game had been called off." All the same, he tried to shift the blame on the third umpire Rudi Koertzen as the one who “may have initiated the process leading to chaotic scenes at the climax of the game.”
How could Jeff have got it wrong, especially when he had elder brother Martin to turn to on matters relating to? Martin is the one who delivered the 2006 Colin Cowdrey lecture. In his lecture brother Martin spoke his mind against the use of technology to assist umpiring, except to determine such matters as line calls for run outs. He also slipped in some comments about his zero tolerance to chucking.
He said:
“I don’t care about talk of 15 degrees here or 10 degrees there… if with the naked eye a bowler is clearly chucking – even by 1 degree – he should be chucked out. Having it tested in a laboratory and not in match conditions is plain ignorance. To straighten your arm from any bent position is a massive advantage over other bowlers who bowl properly.”
“I don’t care about talk of 15 degrees here or 10 degrees there… if with the naked eye a bowler is clearly chucking – even by 1 degree – he should be chucked out. Having it tested in a laboratory and not in match conditions is plain ignorance. To straighten your arm from any bent position is a massive advantage over other bowlers who bowl properly.”
Having been pinned in the head by ‘chuckers’ over 15 years, having been dubiously bowled first ball in a test by a certain Sri Lankan bowler, having tried to bowl a decent ball myself with a straight arm, I’ve had more than enough of this aspect of the game.”
It is time to show the same zero tolerance to referees who are ignorant of the rules. Jeff Crowe’s knowledge of the rules – or lack it- has been tested in match conditions and he has been found wanting. He must be chucked out.
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