Dubai: India’s Nitin Menon Monday became the youngest ever to be included in the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of Umpires for the upcoming 2020-21 season, replacing England’s Nigel Llong. The 36-year-old, who has officiated in three Tests, 24 ODIs and 16 T20Is, is only the third from India to make it to the prestigious group after former captain Srinivas Venkatraghavan and Sundaram Ravi, who was axed last year.
“To be officiating regularly along with the leading umpires and referees of the world is something that I always dreamt of and the feeling has yet to sink in,” Menon was quoted as saying in an ICC statement.Menon quit playing competitive cricket at 22 and by 23, he had become a senior umpire, officiating in BCCI accredited matches.
Nitin Menon has been included in the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires for the 2020-21 season.
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https://t.co/erAx5PCU0U— ICC (@ICC) June 29, 2020
“My father is a former international umpire and in 2006, BCCI conducted an exam for umpires and that was after a gap of almost 10 years. So my father told me to take a chance and give the exam saying ‘if you clear, you can always take up umpiring as a profession’, so I took the test and in 2006 I became an umpire.
“My priority was to play for the country rather than umpiring. But I quit playing at 22 and I became a senior umpire at the age of 23. It wasn’t worth trying to play and umpire so I decided to focus on umpiring alone.”
Menon’s progression through the ranks has been quick, and at the age of 36, he is set to become the youngest member of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. If Menon continues in the manner that has carried him this far, he could be staring at a lengthy stint at the highest level, but, although confident, he is wary of getting carried away.
Menon is set to become only the third Indian to make the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires after S Venkataraghavan and S Ravi. He wishes to see more youngsters from the country follow in those footsteps and has words of motivation.
“As an umpire you have to always work hard, keep on performing day in and day out,” he said. “It’s not like you perform just one year and you’ll be on the elite panel, so we have to be persistent with our performance and ultimately your hard work will be rewarded because the structure requires us to be consistent.”he said.
PNN/Agencies