New Delhi. The relationship between Sachin Tendulkar and umpire Steve Buckner has been one of the most talked about chapters in cricket history. Whenever Buckner pointed fingers against Sachin on the field, the hearts of crores of Indians broke. But years later, this legendary West Indies umpire himself has admitted that he made mistakes and he still feels the burden of those mistakes.
The decision of the umpire on the cricket field is considered final, but when that decision was against Sachin Tendulkar, who is called the ‘God of Cricket’ and that too wrong, then it went beyond the boundaries of the game and became a national debate. Veteran West Indies umpire Steve Buckner, who was known for his strict umpiring, was seen in the role of ‘villain’ many times in Sachin Tendulkar’s career. After years of silence, Buckner admitted in an interview that he had committed a ‘crime’ on Australian soil, which he still regrets.
those two historical mistakes
Steve Buckner specifically mentioned two incidents in his interview, which not only changed the course of the match but also created a bitterness towards Buckner in the minds of Sachin’s fans. Buckner declared Sachin LBW on a ball from Jason Gillespie at the Gabba ground against Australia in Brisbane Test (2003). Replays clearly showed that the ball was going well above the stumps. Sachin was surprised, but left the crease without saying anything. In Sydney (2005), Sachin was caught out by Bucknor on the ball of Abdul Razzaq, even though the ball was far away from his bat, the ball touched the pad and went to the wicketkeeper.
Buckner’s Confession: “To Err is Man”
Buckner said in a recent conversation, “I made two big mistakes. The first mistake was when the ball was going over the stumps and the second when the ball did not touch the bat. Giving that decision against Sachin in Australia is one of the memories of my career which I want to improve. Buckner also admitted that when you give a wrong decision against such a big player, it sticks in your mind. He called it a ‘human error’, but also Agreed, how valuable each inning is for a great player like Sachin.
Sachin’s patience and sportsmanship
The most beautiful aspect of this entire controversy was the behavior of Sachin Tendulkar. Despite so many wrong decisions, Sachin never showed disrespect towards the umpire on the field. Buckner also praised Sachin’s patience and believed that compared to any other player, Sachin accepted these mistakes with great dignity.
Need of technology and today’s times
This confession of Steve Buckner confirms that umpires are also human and they are under pressure. Similar mistakes paved the way for DRS (Decision Review System) in cricket. In today’s era, technology has made the work of umpires easy and decisions accurate, but in Buckner’s era, the umpire’s finger was the ‘law’.
This repentance of Steve Bucknor may not change history nor add runs to Sachin’s account, but it shows the honesty of the game. A great umpire accepting his mistake shows that ‘truth’ and ‘morality’ have a place above victory and defeat on the field of play.