The second innings

In a country like India where cricket is religion, umpiring is most definitely one of the toughest and most crucial jobs to be in. Apart from having to be 101 percent precise, an umpire also has to bear all the brunt if a mistake is made and the hate that follows from the wronged team following that. Thus after a long innings during which he officiated 250 matches, retired cricket umpire Nitin Roghuvir Pai is now looking to share whatever knowledge he has gained while he was a part of the gentlemen's game with other budding umpires.
For this, the retired umpire, one of the few first class umpires produced by the state of Goa on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) panel, has kick-started a training school - ‘Gurukul Academy for Cricket Umpires, Scorers and Referees' (ACUSR) on October 22, 2017, announcing - "Cricket umpiring is my oxygen and I can't live without it."
Recalling his entry into the world of cricket, Nitin states that he began as a cricketer himself. "I began to play in school in 1979 with the encouragement of our school physical educator Shivling Chowgule," recalls Nitin. However, after ten years of playing, the game of politics sadly pushed him out of the field. But, Nitin's passion for cricket did not permit him to quit. Instead, he diverted his goal gracefully and focused on becoming an umpire.
Goa Cricket Association organised and conducted a seminar conclave cum exams in 1989 under the former test umpire of India, late J D Reuben which Nitin attended. Later he was tutored by the only international umpire that Goa has produced so far - Dr Raja Nagarajan, a scientist by profession at National Institute of Oceanography (Dona Paula) - who is fondly called Raja. Motivated by veteran umpire Ravindra Bukkam, Nitin plunged into the vocation, that many thought of as a not-so-lucrative job.
"I passed out as a Ranji panel umpire in 1996 and cleared the all India panel exam in 2005," says Nitin who retired on June 25, 2017 after a glorious and glamorous career of 21 years as an umpire, and is grateful to Goa Cricket Association for its support. Coincidentally, Nitin received a memento from BCCI for his invaluable services on November 1, 2017.
"Playing is poetry, watching is drama and umpiring is prose," expresses Nitin and adds in the same breath, "White is the symbol of peace; hence the players wear white coloured attires. Therefore, umpires and players are the two sides of the same coin and I am proud to be an umpire."
Mentioning that the first paragraph in the laws of the game says, cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within the laws but also within the spirit of the game, Nitin believes that any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself. He is very much aware that the good decision is not remembered while bad decision is never forgotten. "I have always said that the certainty of this glorious game is its uncertainty," he quips.
But what are the skills required to make a good umpire? "He should possess physical abilities, mental toughness and common sense, besides aspiration, ability and attitude," states Nitin. Nitin points out that it really helps if the aspiring umpire has played some level of cricket because he knows the tricks of the trade. "But for me, a good umpire is one who makes less mistakes," smiles Nitin.
A good umpire must have good eye sight, hearing, a thick skin and even temper, integrity, a judicious mind and a strong pair of legs, Nitin explains further. Physical fitness is a must along with the ability to concentrate for a long period. The working knowledge, understanding and application of laws, consistency in applying them in the spirit of the game and having a philosophic frame of mind is mandatory, he adds.
"It was Raja who moulded me to reach the level what I am today. During the lectures, he made it compulsory for me to make certain parts of the law by heart. Since he did not charge a single paisa from me, I have no business to charge fees from my students," shares Nitin, about his new training school.
Elaborating further on how the idea came about, Nitin states that of late specialised coaches are appointed for batsman, bowler and for fielding as well. Thus, it made sense to him to start a school for umpires too so as to give a boost to this line. This coaching school is open for any aspirant who wants to take up umpiring as a profession.
Gurukul invites ex-cricketers to join hands with it to produce good player-turned-umpires from the state. Todays, BCCI panel umpires, Yashwant Barde and Khalid Saiyed, boast that they have been trained under Nitin.
Conceptualised in 2013, Gurukul officially kick started on October 22, 2017 with 15 boys among whom nine are level-one umpires from GCA and the rest are fresher. "We will also be organising free workshops for umpires and felicitate those who have retired," says Nitin.
At the end of the match, no one remembers umpires. In India very few states recognize their contribution. "Let us thank them for their tireless job and motivate more to come forward to take up umpiring as a mission. All can't be players; someone has to be the jury," expresses Nitin. Gurukul, in its debut year, will be felicitating three veteran umpires from Goa - Dr Raja Nagarajan, Ravindra Bukkam and Madhav Dhargalkar on November 14, 2017.