In light of the increasingly vocal appeals for more technology to be incorporated in the game of cricket, and with the recent furore surrounding certain questionable umpiring decisions, the debate over the men in white has been brought into sharper focus. Not only do they have to make decisions in real time, and without the benefit of television replay (at least not in all circumstances), but they also have to apply the Laws of Cricket equally and at all times.

The dispensation of an umpire's duties is not an easy task. The ICC in December, 1993 moved to removed any doubt, or suspicion of doubt as far as umpires are concerned with the introduction of the National Grid International Panel of Umpires following a successful pilot programme both in the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

This panel, which comprises of the two umpires from each member Board of the ICC, with England having four umpires. From this pool comes one independent umpire to stand in all Test matches played around the world. There are presently twenty (20) umpires on this panel and they are responsible, along with one umpire from the home board for all Test matches. This list of umpires is about to get smaller though. In fact, the ICC's proposed "Professional Umpires" list of eight (8) elite umpires is making the WICB officials very uneasy.

It is to this end that a delegation representing the WICB will be attending the ICC's Annual Conference in London from 15th - 19th June and will register the concerns of the West Indian community. The Board is expected to make a case at the ICC meeting for a broader pool of umpires who will stand in all Tests around the world. It is generally felt that the young and upcoming umpires within the West Indies system will be severely disadvantaged if this plan is allowed to go forward. Further, the WICB feels that the proposed panel of eight would be too few to properly serve the sport globally.

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