Nitin Menon, who confirmed outstanding accuracy in his debut sequence as an ICC ‘Elite Panel’ umpire, feels strain conditions convey the most effective out of him and like cricketers, he too desires to make most of this purple patch.The 37-year-old from Indore was inducted into the ICC elite panel of umpires within the center of the COVID-19 pandemic in June final 12 months however needed to wait until this February for his first main task.
With the pandemic forcing the ICC to nominate native umpires in a bilateral sequence, Menon officiated in all 4 Tests between India and England apart from three of the 5 T20s and three ODIs. By the tip of it, he was showered with accolades for his stellar efficiency.Speaking to PTI, Menon, who’s now quarantining in Chennai forward of the Indian Premier League (IPL), seemed again at his gruelling task with fondness.
“The last two months have been great. It gives one great satisfaction when people notice and appreciate your good work. This series was always going to be a very challenging one because of the hype associated with it — a place in the World Test Championship final at stake, both teams coming back from impressive overseas wins, challenging pitches to officiate on.
File image of Nitin Menon.
ALSO READ – IPL 2021: Sunrisers Hyderabad Preview – David Warner’s SRH Look for Second Title
“As for the white-ball series, it was between the two top-ranked teams in the world. Taking all these factors into consideration, I am pleased that we did well as an umpiring team,” mentioned solely third Indian within the ICC elite panel after S Venkataraghavan and S Ravi.
As world’s two prime groups fought it out within the center, Menon was an epitome of calmness. Out of the 40 referrals taken towards his choices through the sequence, solely 5 have been upheld. More importantly, solely two choices have been overturned out of 35 referrals taken towards his lbw choices.
The DRS, particularly the umpire’s name, as soon as once more was a large speaking level by means of out the sequence.In a regular situation, Menon gained’t get to officiate in back-to-back video games over two months. So, how did he cope up with excessive strain eventualities match after match?
“I believe umpiring is all about mental toughness. More the pressure better is the focus. If we can give our best performances when we are under pressure, that is the true reflection of how strong we are mentally.”It’s not new for me to officiate in back-to-back matches, because of the quantity of home cricket organised in India. On a mean, we do eight four-day First-Class video games on the trot in Ranji Trophy, with journey in between from one venue to a different.
“Even in the IPL, we do around 14-16 games without a break, so all this experience has really helped me in this series. Like players, umpires also have form. I always feel that when in good form, I should do the maximum number of games without any break,” mentioned Menon, who performed two List A video games for Madhya Pradesh and comes from a household of umpires.
With his constant performances, Menon has acquired nearer than ever to his dream task — the Ashes — however for that to occur, the COVID-related restrictions should ease.When at house, Menon likes to observe the sport on tv and whereas he’s within the center of the motion, he makes a acutely aware effort to take pleasure in it even within the tensest of conditions.
“I enjoy it thoroughly (in the middle). If I don’t enjoy my job as an umpire, then it will reflect on my performance. Enjoying the game is another way of releasing the pressure. We have the best seat in the house to watch the game.
“And whenever I find time, I make it a point to watch international cricket as it helps me professionally. I have particularly enjoyed watching the Ashes since the time I used to play cricket,” mentioned the soft-spoken official.After two months of continuous umpiring, Menon acquired solely a couple of days at house earlier than he left for Chennai forward of the IPL, just about from one bio-bubble to a different.
The bio-secure life has been powerful on the gamers and Menon finds it equally difficult for the match officers.
“It is very challenging. It is tougher on off days because we cannot go out of the hotel. This is where having a good team atmosphere becomes crucial. We are like a family in the bubble. We have to look after each other, make sure our colleagues are in the right frame of mind, help them out, meet as often as possible and spend time together.
Menon also didn’t forget to mention the contribution of ICC match referee Javagal Srinath.
“We were lucky to have Javagal Srinath as our match referee, the experience he has as a player and as a match referee really helped us. Also, not many people know about the contribution of the ICC Umpire Coaches, how they guide and groom us. They often play a crucial role, making sure we remain focused and positive,” he added.
