Former Natal and Middlesex fast bowler Vincent van der Bijl has been appointed ICC Umpires and Referees manager as part of a major initiative designed to bolster the department and improve the overall standard of officiating at the elite level. Van der Bijl will work as part of the ICC Cricket Operations Department under David Richardson ICC general manager Cricket and will have overall responsibility for the management and smooth running of the umpires and referees section. Current ICC Umpires manager Doug Cowie will report to Van der Bijl and oversee the direct development mentoring and coaching of the umpires as well as feeding back performance related information. In order to increase the level of support to umpires five regional umpires managers soon to be appointed will be responsible for working with umpires on the Emirates Elite and International Panels from those regions as well as all visiting umpires. They will report back to Cowie as part of his overall umpiring strategy. The task force conducted a survey of top umpires and the results showed us that we needed to provide speedier feedback and ongoing mentoring to them said Richardson. One of the key recommendations was that five regional coaches be brought on board to provide support to our umpires and that is what we are doing now. I am delighted with Vinces appointment. He was a fine player who later became a successful businessman. More recently he has been working with Cricket South Africa helping to develop the next generation of players. He is hugely respected and very well liked. The five Regional Umpires managers all have first hand experience with the trials challenges and rewards of umpiring at a high level. They all have credibility and respect in the cricket world and they know the issues that face umpires these days. I have no doubt these appointments will be good for the umpires and the game. These appointments are part of the ICCs commitment to ensuring that the standard of international cricket umpiring remains high and that we get the most out of our best officials.
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