Regional Umpires Seminar For Nairobi

The media release from Hoosain Ayob, ICC Regional Develpoment Manager for Africa reads as follows:

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"Umpiring is fast becoming the single most important position to hold in the cricket arena. To ensure that the best is always given off all the umpires in Africa, the first ever East Africa Umpires Seminar has been planned in Kenya.
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The East Africa Umpires Seminar will be held Nairobi Club on the 29th – 30th July 2006. Umpires from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda will have the expertise of ICC International Associates and Affiliates Umpire Subhash Modi. It is indeed good to note that a female umpire from Tanzania, Lucy Silas Mayunga, will be benefiting from this all important seminar.
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The Theme for this event has been set as “Achieving the dream – Success comes through commitment and hard work”. The topics to be discussed vary from forging relationships both on and off the field to the way forward.
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It is hoped that the umpires accredited through these seminars will be able to strengthen the African Panel and ensure that a few more umpires from Africa attain the all important fate of being selected to officiate in an international match."

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Ths seminar will be essentially based on the recent ICC Umpires Seminar held in Dubai – Conducted by Darrell Hair (ICC Elite Panel Umpire) and which included as presenters/speakers: Malcolm Speed (ICC CEO), Chris Briers (ICC Development Operations Manager), Doug Cowie (ICC Director of Match Referees and Umpires), and Simon Taufel (ICC Elite Panel Umpire).

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Speakers and presenters for the Kenya seminar will include:

Tom Tikolo (CEO Cricket Kenya):

- Welcome & Introduction.

Samir Inamder (Chairman Cricket Kenya):

- Important role played by East African Umpires

- Way Forward for Umpires.

Abdul Sattar (Chairman of K.C.U&SA):

- Umpires Experiences .

Aasif Karim (former Kenya Cricket Captain):

- Umpires Relationships with the Captains, Players, Coaches and Officials – On and off the field.

Subhash Modi (ICC Associate/Affiliate Panel Umpire):

- Development structure for ICC Associate / Affiliate International panel.

- ICC playing conditions – recent interpretations and instructions.

- The finger that makes or mars the game of cricket and players behaviour thereon.

- How to become a Good Umpire.

- Umpiring and Cricket Indiscipline.

- The Umpire and his Empire.

David Odhiambo (Kenyan Umpire):

- Umpires Relationship with the third team(Scorers).

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The seminar will also include discussions on Umpiring matters, fieldcraft technique sessions, umpiring videos, question and answer forums and a performance assessments. There will also be an opportunity for the delegates to present their opinions on what they need from ICC Africa to make the EA Umpires Successful.

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This is a fantastic initiative by the ICC and respective Kenyan bodies, and will help to further strengthen cricket in the region. There is no doubt that good umpiring helps raise the standard of cricket, and it is great to see this sentiment embraced by all parties in Kenya. My one worry is that the timing of this seminar will have an affect on the umpires scheduled for the NPCA matches this weekend. Hopefully something will be sorted out to ensure the league still goes ahead while the umpires don't miss out on the seminar.