'Chucking' umpire stood down over stress condition
AFP
26 January 1999
ADELAIDE, Australia, Jan 26 (AFP) - The cricket umpire at the centre
of a chucking controversy here has been stood down from two
international matches in Perth this weekend after it was revealed
Tuesday he is on stress leave from work.
The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced Tuesday they would
urgently review the medical condition of Western Australian umpire
Ross Emerson, 44, who sparked a furore at Adelaide Oval Saturday when
he called Sri Lankan off-spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan for
throwing.
ACB chairman Denis Rogers said Emerson had failed to tell the board of
the stress condition which led him to take leave from his job at the
Western Australian Ministry of Fair Trading for the past eight weeks.
But Rogers denied there was a link between Emerson's condition and the
indefinite adjournment of a hearing in Adelaide earlier Tuesday into
misconduct charges against Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga.
Ranatunga faced a two-hour code of conduct hearing before match
referee Peter Van der Merwe, of South Africa, on charges arising from
Saturday's game against England when Ranatunga argued heatedly with
Emerson, poked a finger at him and halted play for 12 minutes
following the chucking call.
``I have not received any formal or informal request from them (Sri
Lankans, about Emerson) even though I have spoken extensively to their
president over the last few days,'' Rogers said.
``There may well be something in the pipeline, but that has got nothing
whatever to do with the decision that has been made.''
However, when asked why the hearing was adjourned, Van der Merwe told
Channel Nine TV station: ``Certain points were raised by Mr Ranatunga's
legal representatives and I thought that was the best thing to do.''
Sources said the hearing would probably be in Sydney, next week.
Rogers said the ACB had a stringent duty of care to minimise the risk
of injury or illness to their employees.
While Emerson had complied with the requirement to provide a full
medical clearance last September, he had not told the board of his
subsequent stress-related condition when the appointments for
international matches were made in early December.
``Had the ACB been aware of this, they would have initiated a
comprehensive review of umpire Emerson's condition, prior to
considering his appointments as an international umpire,'' Rogers said.
``That review will now take place. The ACB are entitled to, and
required to, satisfy themselves and the cricket public that his
admitted medical condition does not impact on his ability to umpire
international cricket matches.''
Ministry of Fair Trading chief executive, Pat Walker, shed some light
on this when he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio: ``Mr
Emerson's doctor, while indicating he is not able to work, has
indicated he believes that cricket umpiring is within his present
capabilities.''
Rogers said Emerson would have been stood down even if he had not
called Muralitharan on Saturday, but refused to comment when asked
whether Emerson's condition had affected his decision-making.
He said Emerson, who flew back home to Perth Tuesday on the same plane
as the Sri Lankans but made no comment to waiting journalists, was
bitterly disappointed about being stood down.
``Mr Emerson wishes to resume umpiring as soon as possible and
emphasises his medical advice about his stress condition indicates
umpiring cricket matches is within his capabilities,'' Rogers said.
Emerson will be replaced by Peter Parker for Friday's England-Sri
Lanka match, while Steve Davis will take over as third umpire for
Sunday's game between Australia and Sri Lanka.
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