'Former players should umpire to improve standards'

MELBOURNE: Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones feels retired players should take up upmiring to improve the plummeting standard of on-field officiating that has marred the ongoing cricket season.

"The best umpires, probably apart from Simon Taufel, are the guys who used to be players like David Shepherd and Dicky Bird," Jones was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

"They are the guys who know the sights to look for and the special sounds of bats and pads and the individual sounds of different grounds," he added.

India's ongoing tour of Australia has been marred by poor umpiring with veterans Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzon committing shocking blunders. Bucknor was removed from the Test series after his mistakes outraged the Indians, while Koertzon has also come in for criticism for his bloopers.

Jones felt such furores can be avoided by having former players as umpires on the elite panel.

"It's time for cricket to be pro-active. We have former players Rod Tucker and Paul Reiffel in the system and we need more," he said.

"May be we have to go to them and get them involved for a couple of years and see whether it works," he added.