The "Don't Walk" Sign

Most Indian cricket enthusiasts have bemoaned the way some of the LBW decisions (especially in the previous match) haven't gone our way. Steve Bucknor is back at the SCG in place of David Shepherd. I'm not a fan of Bucknor, indeed I don't rate him very highly at all. I can't prove it offhand, but I think every series that he has umpired in, he has made some awful blunders - not the kind of mistakes that are the result of some close calls, but some seriously poor stuff which I don't think can be balanced out by any other good decisions he can pull off. That's why I feel Virender Sehwag shouldn't have walked before Bucknor gave his view. I don't think there was a convincing sound or deflection to his nick (I'm assuming he nicked it because he walked) and I don't think Bucknor (assuming he was not going to go temporarily off the handle this time) could've given him out. I don't necessarily agree all the time with the view that states you make things difficult for the umpire but on some occasions you don't make it too easy as well. The Indian team need not help the umpires out - they don't influence the bad decisions they get, so leave all decision-making to the umpires. It may not even out in the context of a series for that batsman, but it may even out for the team. Sehwag was in good flow and could've been even more dangerous.

There is a time and a place for being very sporting - much as I admire Adam Gilchrist's gesture in the WC Semi Final vs Sri Lanka, I would advocate the path taken by Dravid. He was one player who suffered early one because he walked a few times and also got a few rough ones, now he waits for the umpire to do his job. This is not a "don't walk because you are playing the Aussies who don't do others favours", but "don't walk because it's Bucknor and Bowden making the (crooked?) decisions". (Seeing Bowden jumping out of the way to escape being hit by a shy at the stumps was funny, but he was not watching the stumps at all - these guys have it easy sometimes too because of the third ump.)