Daryl Harper: Difference between revisions

Daryl Harper
Personal information
Full name	Daryl John Harper
Batting	Right-hand bat
Umpiring information
Tests umpired	85 (1998–present)
ODIs umpired	161 (1994–present)
Career statistics
	Source: cricinfo, 18 November 2009

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Daryl John Harper, (born 23 October 1951 in Adelaide, South Australia), is a Australian test cricket match umpire.

Formerly a primary school teacher, Harper played as a right-handed batsman in the Adelaide Grade cricket competition for the Teachers' College and East Torrens clubs. From here he commenced his umpiring career and in 1987 oversaw his initial first-class cricket match.

Harper made his first appearance in an international fixture in January 1994 when he umpired a One Day International (ODI) in Perth between New Zealand and South Africa. In November 1998 Harper made his test match debut when appointed to stand in the 2nd Ashes test at the WACA alongside umpire Venkat; Harper also stood at the MCG in the 4th test of that series. After promotion to the National Grid Panel of International Umpires, Harper also began to appear in test matches away from Australia as the designated neutral umpire.

Harper found himself at the centre of a media storm in 1999 when, during an Adelaide test between Australia and India, he controversially adjudged Sachin Tendulkar out leg before wicket when the ball struck Tendulkar’s shoulder as he ducked to a Glen McGrath attempted bouncer which kept low.

In 2002 the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced a policy of two neutral umpires standing in each test match, and one neutral & one home umpire in ODIs. The neutral umpires would be chosen from a newly conceived ICC Elite umpire panel comprising the ICC’s determination of the top 8 - 10 umpires from around the world. Harper was included in the original line up for this panel, at the time chosen over fellow Australians Simon Taufel and Darrell Hair (both of whom subsequently joined the panel in 2003). Following the retirement of West Indian Steve Bucknor in March 2009, Harper is one of only two remaining original panel umpires, the other being South Africa's Rudi Koertzen.

Harper umpired the opening match of the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, and went on to stand in one of the semi-finals. On August 31st 2005 he adjudicated in his 100th ODI, a match between Zimbabwe and New Zealand at Harare.

Harper found himself under fire once again in 2009, this time for his performance during a test series between hosts West Indies and Andrew Strauss's touring England side, a series notable for the trial of the 'player referral' system. While many players (including West Indian captain Chris Gayle), officials and pundits questioned the validity of the concept, some attributed its perceived failings in practice to decisions by Harper from the crucial third umpire chair during the series, such as his overturning of leg before wicket decisions against Ramnaresh Sarwan and Brendan Nash, failure to overrule a leg before wicket decision against Shivnarine Chanderpaul and upholding of a caught behind decision against Darren Powell, rulings considered by many commentators and analysts to be incorrect application of the system's guidelines and questionable interpretation of video evidence. Noteworthy Harper dissenters included cricketing alumni Bob Willis (England), who reiterated long-voiced criticism of Harper's umpiring capabilities, and Michael Holding (West Indies), who characterised Harper's controversial contributions in the player referral trial as "garbage in, garbage out".

Harper's interpretation of video evidence from the third umpire's chair was brought into question again in 2010 during Andrew Strauss's touring England side in South Africa. During the 4th test at the Wanderers he upheld the standing umpire's decision that Alastair Cook was out during a player review for a LBW appeal. The original replays appeared, at a cursory glance, to show that the bowler had overstepped the popping crease, thus constituting a no-ball. However, closer inspection demonstrated that the bowler might have had a very tiny part of his heel behind the crease which, if this were the case, would have made the play valid. Nevertheless, Harper took very little time to make his decision, thus causing some commentators to suggest that even if his decision were correct, he did not give the video evidence the appropriate time and scrutiny that it merited.

On the second day of the fourth test in the same series, Harper was involved in another blunder while acting as third umpire. When England referred a not out decision, Sky TV pictures (and sound) showed that Graeme Smith had edged the ball, meaning Harper should have overruled the onfield umpire's decision. He instead backed up the not out decision, despite viewers at home being able to see Smith was out. Initially it was thought South African TV had not supplied the sound, but they deny this, instead blaming Harper. They allege he had the volume on too low (on 'four out of ten'), so could not hear the noise as the ball made contact with the bat. England Team Director Andy Flower stated that match referee Roshan Mahanama confirmed that the audio feed was available to Harper but he had elected not to use it - "I asked him (Mahanama) again and he explained that Daryl Harper had not deemed it necessary to turn the volume up on his microphone, which I find very strange when he's trying to listen for a nick." As a result of the decision, England lodged a formal complaint.

International Umpiring Statistics

	First	Latest	Total
Tests	Australia v England at Perth, Nov 1998	India vs Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad, Nov 2009	85
ODIs	South Africa v New Zealand at Perth, Jan 1994	England v New Zealand at Johannesburg, Sep, 2009	161
20/20s	South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, Sep 2007	Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Lord's, June, 2009	10