January 04, 2008	Friday	Zilhaj 24, 1428

SYDNEY, Jan 3: Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has backed the idea of doing away with neutral umpires, insisting the best umpires should supervise in high-profile games, such as the ongoing India-Australia Test series.

Waugh’s remarks appeared after several umpiring mistakes on the first day of the second Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“The world’s No. 1 umpire for the past four years has been Simon Taufel from Sydney and he should be out in the middle making the crucial decisions under pressure for this is what the best aspire to,” Waugh, the legendary batsman, wrote in Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

He added there might have been a need for neutral umpires in the past, because of a lack of professionalism along with poor TV cameras.

However, with more transparency and with poor performances from umpires likely to see them on the sidelines, Waugh thinks there is no reason to insist on neutral umpires any more.

“To have at least four obvious errors in one day is not bad luck,” he wrote. “Just inadequate concentration.”

Mark Benson failed to notice an edge from Ricky Ponting (on 17) and then did not detect another deflection off the bat when he adjudged Ponting out lbw for 55.

A nick from Andrew Symonds also escaped Steve Bucknor’s attention, while the TV umpire Bruce Oxenford turned down a stumping call despite replays suggesting Symonds’ foot was in the air when the bails came off.—Agencies