The ManicaPost
On the point with Aubrey Kamba —
Not so long ago, I spoke of the officials that are in the beautiful game of cricket, I thought it prudent to revisit the issue of umpires and their signals in week’s article. This is a vastly misunderstood area by those still learning the game hence the deliberate decision to talk about the signals that the officials use in the game once more.
I once gave similarities between the the gentlemen’s game of cricket and Hwishu. Hwishu has no signals in it that shows that one is out of the game besides the ball being caught mid-air, or having the ball thrown at you whilst you are not in your house. Cricket however has various signals.
Umpire Signals
The umpires signal various events with gestures, as follows:
Out:
When a batsman is out, the umpire making the decision raises one hand above his head, with the index finger extended.
Not Out:
There is no formal signal to indicate that a batsman is not out. The umpire can either shake his head ‘no’ or not signal at all.
Four:
A four scored by the ball reaching the boundary is signalled by an arm extended horizontally and waved briefly back and forth in a horizontal arc.
Six:
A six is signalled by raising both arms straight over the head.
No Ball:
A no ball is signalled by holding an arm out horizontally.
Wide:
A wide is signalled by holding both arms out horizontally.
Byes:
Runs scored as byes are signalled by raising one arm over the head, palm open.
Dead Ball:
If the umpire has to signal dead ball to prevent the players from assuming that the ball is still alive, he waves both arms across each other in front of his abdomen.
One Short:
One short is signalled by touching the tip of one hand to the same shoulder.
Right leg raised and clasped by the right hand.
Leg byes.
This sign indicates that the ball hit the pads of the batsman or woman, not the bat, and that the runs completed are adjudged to be leg byes. These runs are not credited to the individual player’s score but to the team’s, as extras Right arm raised skywards. Byes. This shows that the ball has been missed by both the batsman or woman and the wicket-keeper.
Any runs scored are deemed to be byes. Byes, like leg byes, are counted as extras.
TV Replay:
If an umpire wishes the third umpire to make a decision based on a TV replay, he signals by drawing a large square shape in the air with both hands, spreading them out high in the air in front of him, bringing them down, and then together again.
For your feedback please contact Aubrey at 0778 712 404
