Ashes 2023: "The Last Three Years Has Helped Me Grow As An Umpire" - Nitin Menon Says Ahead Of Officiating In The Marquee Event

Indian umpire Nitin Menon said that his stint at home over the last couple of years gave him the confidence to officiate for the last three matches in the ongoing Ashes series in England. Nitin Menon said that he was not affected by the pressure created by players in terms of decision-making.

Nitin Menon is the lone Indian representative in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. The 39-year-old will be part of the officiating team for the last three Ashes Tests. Earlier, he was part of the Umpires Panel for the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022 and England’s home series against South Africa last year.

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In an interview with PTI, Nitin Menon stated that the pressure of officiating Team India’s matches on home soil helped prepare him well for the Ashes.

“When India play in India there is a lot of hype, lot of big stars in the Indian team they always try to create pressure on you, they always try to get those 50-50 decisions in favour of them but if we are in control of ourselves under pressure, then we don’t focus on what they are trying to do,” Nitin Menon said.

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“It just shows that I am strong enough to handle any situation rather than getting working up by the pressure created by players. That has given me a lot of self confidence. Leading the Indian international panel of umpires at home has also been a big responsibility. I did not have a lot of experience initially (when he entered ICC elite panel) but the last three years has helped me grow as an umpire,” he added.

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Don’t Think Indian Umpires Are Lacking In Anything – Nitin Menon

Nitin Menon believes providing exposure to emerging Indian umpires is key to their growth. Indian umpires are often seen officiating at the Indian Premier League (IPL), but only a few have reached the level of international cricket.

“There are couple of very good umpires coming up . I don’t think I will be the only one, sure there will be a couple of who can rise up the ladder if given proper exposure,” he continued.

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“I don’t think Indian umpires are lacking in anything. The most important thing is giving them exposure at the right time. If we do that, we will find more umpires,” he concluded.

Nitin Menon got continuous chances to officiate in international matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The home umpire rule was introduced due to the pandemic. He has officiated in 15 Tests, 24 ODIs, and 20 T20 Internationals since joining the ICC Elite Panel in June 2020.

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