One of the best Cricket Umpires, Simon Taufel talks about Yoga and his brush with “Terror”

By Raj Natarajan

International Yoga Day is celebrated on 21^st June every year and Consulate General of India in Sydney hosts a Yoga demonstration event to mark this occasion. This year Bradfield Park, below the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, in the heart of Sydney CBD was the venue. The weather very unfavourable with heavy rain and strong winds but the Yoga enthusiasts braved all the wether elements and put on a grand show which just goes to prove that Yoga, apart from all other benefits, also teaches perseverance and determination.

The surprise celebrity guest at this event was Simon Taufel who was voted as the ICC’s best cricket umpire of the year 5 times and served The International Cricket Council (ICC) in various capacities. Simon Taufel is one cricket umpire who earned the respect of players, administrators and co-umpires from all the cricket playing countries around the World because of his unbiased and almost always correct umpiring decisions in all forms of the game.  I did not want to miss this opportunity to talk to Simon Taufel and he readily agreed to give me an interview. Reproduced below are the excerpts of the interview:

Raj : We have a very familiar face here, Simon Taufel, welcome to International Yoga Day celebrations.

Simon: It is great to be here. I wish the weather conditions could have been a bit kinder for the participants but great to see so many people braving the weather and celebrating international Yoga Day.

Raj: That shows some dedication, doesn’t it?

Simon: That’s what last eighteen months is all about isn’t it? Perseverance, commitment and adapting to the new conditions which are what is necessary to get on with life under these COVID pandemic conditions!

Raj: Do You do Yoga?

Simon: Yes I do. Well I was introduced to Yoga 25 years ago by one of the Indian umpires you might remember, Srinivasan Venkataraghavan. I did umpire my first two test matches with Venkat and it was in a hotel room in Morocco that Venkat taught me the basics of Yoga. I found doing Yoga a fascinating experience and I continued to learn. As I have said in my speech to the participants this morning, in the last eighteen months we have learnt that both physical and mental health is the most important element of our life. We have to practise positive thinking which leads to mental well being and practise of Yoga helps immensely to achieve both mental and physical health. That’s why Yoga has become an important part my life.

Raj: You were voted, not once but five times, as ICC ‘s best umpire for the year and so we all were wondering why you retired from the game so early?

Simon: It is a good question.  I have explained the answer to your question in my book. I left for two reasons, one I needed a new challenge as I was umpiring for nearly 32 years and I felt I needed a new challenge which will inspire me and secondly to focus more on my family commitments. I missed my two sons and daughter growing up as I was travelling around the World and therefore decided to spend some more time with the family.

Raj: Tell us more about your book.

Simon: It is a book about transferrable skills, national cricket, how to get there and stay there but it not all about cricket necessarily. It is about team work and how to live with integrity and how to be the best you can be. The name of the book is – “Finding the Gaps” and it highlights life’s challenges and how to face them with patience and perseverance which Yoga teaches you. This book is about those soft skills and how young people can be trained in those skills and help them to build a better future for themselves. The book was launched about 2 years back with Sourav Ganguly in Kolkata, India and it is available with Amazon on-line and also in all the major book shops.

Raj: Cricketing World has changed in the recent times with the introduction of Decision Review System (DRS). It was not there when you started umpiring and what do you think of the use of technology to deliver correct decisions? Also is it being overused which is delaying the progress of the game?

Simon: I started umpiring in 2000 and DRS came in 2008 and so I have seen both pre and post DRS.  I am all for use of technology which supports what the umpires do but should not replace the human element. That way the integrity and beauty of the game is retained and the umpires’ decisions are very important because it is an art not science. Technology has to be used wisely because it comes at a cost as well as time loss and judicious use of technology will enhance the spectacle for the spectators.

Raj : What do you think of the Test Cricket Championship, the first of which was played recently between India and New Zealand?

Simon: I was one of the members of ICC committee which made a decision to start Test Championship and so I fully support the idea. I voted for it mainly because Test Cricket should have context and every test match should count for teams to qualify to play for an ultimate prize. We have World cups in other two formats of the game (ODI & T20) and it was time to introduce Test Cricket Championship.

Raj: If I ask you to name the toughest test series you have umpired, what would you say?

Simon: Undoubtedly India Vs Pakistan test series in 2003/4 in Pakistan with Shoaib Akhtar bowling to Sachin Tendulkar and birth of new stars like M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli was an amazing experience. The fascinating part of my umpiring career was to see so many great cricketers perform all over World in different playing conditions.

Raj: You were caught up in the terrorists attack on Sri Lankan Cricket team in 2009 when they were touring Pakistan and you were part of the group which was attacked. Can you describe that experience?

Simon: It was terrifying experience and I have written a chapter about it in my book – “Finding the Gaps” describing how it feels to be under gun fire attack and to be shot at and seeing people die in front of your eyes. It was a sad day for cricket and also a sad day for Pakistan’s cricket fans. The whole cricketing world changed that day and peoples’ lives changed because many people did not go back home to their families including several police men. At that time I came to realise how precious is this gift of life and also how important to preserve it and nurture it. That is where I appreciated Yoga which plays such an important part in my life to keep myself fit and healthy both physically and mentally.

Raj: Finally Simon we all remember you as one of the finest umpires the cricketing world has seen and thanks for coming here to support International YOGA Day.

Simon: Dhanyavaad (surprised me by saying Hindi translation of Thank You).

NOTE: The entire Interview with Simon Taufel can be watched on OzIndian TV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdXpn9dcbAI