SPORTS

While in conversation with a senior national player last week, I was quite impressed by his knowledge of the playing conditions set out for the Stanford 20/20 tournament. The regulations have only existed for a few months and it is pleasing to see at least one cricketer making the effort to keep abreast of developments in the sport.

On the surface this may seem rather trivial but I have noticed a disturbingly high percentage of local cricketers who are unfamiliar with the laws of the game and the regulations under which we play in the Cayman Islands. This lack of awareness becomes a problem when players contravene the regulations and are opposed to match officials putting them on the right track.

Unwillingness to play according to the laws and regulations shows a lack of respect for the sport. Most cricketers will not memorise the 42 laws and numerous regulations that govern cricket but when they are found to be in breech of any of them they should attempt to expand their knowledge of the game rather than engage in mischievous attempts to circumvent the law.

I am not sure how many players are aware of the intense preparation umpires go through before being certified. Any official who has his West Indies certification should be well versed in the laws of the game.

The Cayman Islands Cricket Association is currently going through a busy period with the domestic season in full swing and training for the Stanford Tournament well underway. At a more convenient time I am sure they will be quite willing to work with the local umpires to conduct sessions for our local cricketers in an effort to educate them on the laws and regulations.

Cayman can boast of four West Indies accredited umpires who have all officiated in ICC tournaments at various levels and have received excellent reports. They are Courtney Young, Hubert Smythe, Ken “Teach” Miller and Chab Samaroo.

Today I would like to highlight an issue that has caused some debate, that of declaring a team. The Laws of Cricket as set out by the Marylebone Cricket Club addresses the matter quite clearly.
Law 1 section 2 explains in simple terms:

Nomination of players

Each captain shall nominate his players in writing to one of the umpires before the toss. No player may be changed after the nomination without the consent of the opposing captain.

I will also share an extract from the latest edition (2004) of Tom Smith’s book on umpiring and scoring, a text that is internationally recognised as an authority on interpretation and application of the laws of cricket. It is a useful resource for any serious cricket lover’s library.

The commentary on law 1 section 2 is as follows;

Here the Law states that players must be nominated prior to the toss. Such nomination must be given in writing to one of the umpires before the toss.

The importance of this team nomination list cannot be overstressed. Umpires must know which players are part of the nominated team. This is particularly important at the start of the match when the players take the field. The umpires must be told if any nominated player is not present and if applicable give permission for a substitute to field until the nominated player arrives. Only by checking the team nomination list will they be able to assure themselves that they have the situation under their control.