Billy Bowden ... As colorful as ever !

Cricket is a gentlemans game. But sometimes one finds some weird characters who bring a dash of color to this otherwise game which is played by rules and is supposed to be very regimental in nature. Regimental in nature ? ... i mean that the same set of exercises ... by batsman, bowlers and fielders. And the poor man ... the umpire has to stand the whole day in the sun ... just seeing three set of sticks called stumps ... and the red cherry that test cricket has to offer ... and his job becomes quite monotonous !

Under these monotonous conditions ... there come some colorful characters ... who defy the age old practice of being serious, in the job they do on the cricket field ... and bring that tinge of color ... which makes this gentlemans game a Circus ! ... Well, that does not mean that i would classify all those wonderful and colorful people as Jokers !

One such character was the Great David Shepherd, the Umpire. Whenever the score of the batting side becomes 111 or multiples there of ... then suddenly he jumps with his inimitable style ... takes three steps in his position ... as if there are some red ants near the place he stands ... and they are waiting to bite his feet as soon as score becomes 111 or multiples there of ... and the poor David jumps out of the sheer pain caused by ant bite !

Must confess, that David Shepherd was one of the most revered, talented and feared umpires that the great game of cricket has seen. Cheers to him !

The new poster boy of Cricket Umpiring these days is Billy Bowden. And his passion for cricket, makes him try out some weird athletic steps on the cricket field ... that the players and spectators alike get drawn into, his charisma and funny ways of expressing the umpiring decisions that he makes. He and the T20 form of cricket seems to be made for each other ... they form a perfect couple !

Just consider some of his styles of expression while giving umpiring decisions.

When a batsman scores a FOUR, then he gets overjoyed, he moves his left leg backward as if he doing some Yoga Aasanaa ... and then he moves his right hand as if he is sweeping the cricket field ... just to convey the message to the scorers that it was a FOUR !

When a batsman scores a SIX, then he gets overjoyed, he sits down on his two legs ... not completely sitting down on the cricketing field ... does one form of Namaskaar by first bending his whole body towards the earth ... and lifting his two hands slowly and steadily ... until he has shown his two hand to the almighty in the sky ! ... just to convery the message to the scorers that it was a SIX !

When a batsman was OUT ... then he just shows his right index finger bent like a hook ... as if he is near a pond fishing ... and he is overjoyed at the idea that he has caught his fish ... that is the batsman ... and he is showing his "hook" and "Bait" ... to the "fish" that is the batsman ... with much eagerness and enthusiasm ... First of all, the batsman is very sad that he got out ... and Billy making him a fish which is just caught ... is reason enough for him to feel even more frustrated !

All these "adaayein" of Billy Bowden ... makes him the most colorful and liked umpire on the cricket field ... as if he is managing the "circus" in a cricket field !

But, coming back to reality from some imaginative world, Billy Bowden is the "Best Umpire in the World" currently ... its not just because of his passion for the game or his onfield gimmicks ... because of his cricketing decisions ! ... As accurate and correct as an umpire can get !

He is not even liked ... but also feared by the players ... and is respected around the cricketing world for what he is ... Billy Bowden ! ... Cheers to him !

And also cheers to him for making "Gentlemans Game of Cricket" a "Circus of Cricket" !

Vamsi Krishna Karra
http://vamsikarra.wordpress.com