'Replacement of injured umpire has happened before'

Mumbai: It will be interesting to see how the name of the TV umpire Paul Wilson figures in the scorecard of the fourth ODI between Australia and India, which was played in Canberra on Wednesday.  

The third (TV) umpire Paul Wilson officiated as a field umpire from both ends as per standard One-Day International Match conditions after England's Richard Kettleborough had to leave the field following a blow on his right leg.

The replacement of umpire in the international match is not the first instance, according to Daryl Harper, the former ICC Elite Panel umpire. 

“In November 2001, local Hobart umpire John Smeaton was appointed to officiate as third umpire when Australia played New Zealand at Bellerive in a Test match. Smeaton was a member of the National Panel and was participating in his first Test match,” he said.

“When Steve Davis bizarrely suffered a debilitating knee injury as he left the ground at the end of the second day's play, Smeaton took his place on the field, joining Steve Bucknor for the final three days. Local umpire Barry Jackman was summoned to the ground to fill the role of the fourth umpire,” he added.

“It was Smeaton's sole Test appearance to date and since he is currently aged sixty-seven, it is likely to be both his debut and farewell Test. Smeaton was later recognised as Australia's 86th Test umpire," Harper concluded. 

When the ICC Elite panel on field umpire Kettleborough was injured, the replacement should have only been officiating from the striker-end. 

Law 3.2 ‘Change of umpire’ reads: “An umpire shall not be changed during the match, other than in exceptional circumstances, unless he is injured or ill. If there has to be a change of umpire, the replacement shall act only as striker’s end umpire unless the captains agree that he should take full responsibility as an umpire."

However, the Special Condition was followed in the ODI between Australia and India on Wednesday.

"The emergency umpire (replacement) carries the full responsibilities of the umpire he replaces – he does both ends on field and has always done so in international matches," one of the sources said.

"In ODI matches, the third umpire will be appointed by the Home Board and he shall act as the emergency umpire and officiate in regard to TV replays. Such appointment must be made from the ‘International Panel’ or the ‘TV Panel’.”

"The rule 3.1.8 : The Home Board shall also appoint a fourth umpire for each ODI from its panel of first class umpires. The fourth umpire shall act as the emergency third umpire."

"If all match umpires are occupied an official (eg secretary or director) from the local umpires association would carry the box of balls on for the on field umpires," an Australian umpire Karl Wentzel said. 

"As there is no DRS being used in this ODI series (India's request) the third umpire is not in use. My guess is that as a norm when an injury takes place the third umpire who is the TV umpire gets replaced by the 4th umpire. All umpires are trained to do TV umpire duties."