April 21, 2002	Sunday	Safar 7, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KARACHI, April 20: West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor feels no pressure as he prepares to officiate as International Cricket Council’s umpire in Sunday’s first one-day international between Pakistan and New Zealand.

The Jamaican was blamed by Pakistan for allowing England to finish the third and final cricket Test here 17 months ago which gave the tourists their first series win in 33 years and spoiled Pakistan’s unbeaten record.

“I am under no pressure. If I feel the pressure I will not be umpiring,” Bucknor said Saturday.

The match had ended in near darkness. Bucknor had rejected Pakistan’s repeated complaints of bad light and inability to pick the ball. England, prior to the series, had refused the option of using lights for completion of the game.

Nasser Hussain’s men found themselves in a similar situation at Auckland earlier month when New Zealand refused to take bad light and continued to bat on the penultimate day. Stephen Fleming’s decision helped the Black Caps win the Test to level the series.

Bucknor inspected the pitch in the afternoon and apparently felt the scorching heat when he put the towel on his head to take some shelter.

“It (weather) is not very different as to what we have back home,” he said.

Bucknor will supervize all the three one-dayers and will be joined by South African Rudi Koertzen for the two-Test series starting May 1.