Plans to improve South Africa's First-class Umpires panel

Aiding the association in their ``fast tracking'' programme to modernise as well as meet the growing pressures and demands of the first-class game, is former Eastern Province and Border all-rounder Ian Howell.

The 40-year-old Howell has been granted a special dispensation by the association which has removed some of the more tiresome steps in the lengthy process needed to become an provincial umpire. The SACUA have scrapped the D,C and B examinations for those former first-class players who have shied away from what plans they had of joining the umpiring corps.

Apart from ridding the association of the fusty image which with they have been saddled the new steps are designed, with Howell action as a pioneer, to entice former first-class players back to the game in efforts to uplift the stanards.

Another step could be the formation of a professional umpires body, similar to the county umpires list in England.

Alan Ball, chairman of SACUA, also confirmed the organisation would apply the same dispensation to former provincial players of Sacbob, SACB, CAT and other affliated bodies.

``What we are doing is to get rid of the perception that we are not in favour of former provincial players joining our ranks,'' Ball said, no doubt referring to comments made by Fanie de Villiers, the former test player who raised the query in a recent television programme.

``We know there is a need to become more professional in our approach to develop opportunities for those former first-class players to become umpires,'' Ball, a former member of the national A Section panel said.

``In my own case I found it hard to umpire games at top level as I knew that as part-time umpire I had a say in the performance of a first-class, or professional player.

``It was not easy but in the end I had to give it up and concentrate on administrative duties where I could do something worthwhile to help improve the stanadard of umpiring in this country,'' he added.

The rationale behind the decision to scrap D,C and B exams for former first-class players is to speed up their access to the provincial (or national) panel In the long-term it would mean, said Ball, creating a system to that in England where former county players would, after a period of probation, joim the national panel had a number of advantages.

The first step for former first-class players would be to join their local association, study the laws and sit the A Section exam. If their marks and probation period in Premier League or First League games was satisfactory, elevation to the provincial umpiring ranks would be a matter of weeks and not years, as is currently the case.

Howell, for example, could stand in his first provincial game in the new year.

At present there are five members of the national panel who make a living from the game: Danny Becker, Wilf Diedricks, Rudi Koertzen, Cyril Mitchley and Dave Orchard.

Added to the strategic long-term plan which enticed Howell to the ranks in a pioneering role is one to improve the structures of all umpiring levels. This can be done if large numbers fo former first-class players joined the ranks on a full-time basis.

Ball felt former players such as Howell, or Stefan Jacobs (as an example) would be respected by the former provincial colleagues and set an example for other to follow.

``Hopefully the move will be successful,'' said Ball, adding that the scheme would be fully effective next year when more former provincial players, attracted by the idea of earlier recognition, were expected to join the ``fast tracking'' scheme.