At the top of the RA Vance stand sits Doug Cowie, basking in the sunshine and soaking up the ambiance of the 50th Test at the Allied Finance Basin Reserve. He has just confirmed he will be standing down from his post as manager for umpires at the International Cricket Council and will finish up the role by the end of the year.
But what does the future hold for this charismatic official? In an exclusive interview with www.blackcaps.co.nz, Doug Cowie opens up about life after the ICC, how technology has changed the face of umpiring and his best memories from the “Gentleman’s game”.
Over his two decade international umpiring career Cowie umpired 71 One Day Internationals and 22 Tests. He finished up in 2005 and saw an opportunity to continue contributing to the game, which came in the form of his current role at the ICC.
Before cricket umpiring became a full time profession, Cowie was heavily involved in the field of mentoring - helping people grow in a personal and professional capacity. His goal with the ICC was to put systems in place to help umpires reach their full potential. “I didn’t think there was enough support for the umpires, especially in preparation and off field support, things that are fundamental to performance,” Cowie says.
He set to work improving support systems and putting mentoring strategies in place to ensure umpires had the right resources and support available to succeed. Five regional performance managers are now based around the world to help with the professional development of umpires.
Although Cowie has had a big impact within the ICC, at the end of 2009 he will call stumps at the ICC. He has given four years to the organisation based out of Dubai and now he is looking at heading home to Auckland, back to family, business and friends.
Over the years Cowie has seen technology change the face of umpiring. Technology has always been a contentious issue when it comes to officiating a game. Some say it takes away the tradition, and others believe if the technology is available it should be used. Cowie, you could say, is in the latter camp.
With the recent introduction of the DRS, (Decision Review System) decisions made by the umpire can be reviewed while the game is in progress when players suspect an error has been made. This ensures the “umpires are making the best possible decisions with clear evidence and support”.
According to Cowie, umpires are already making good decisions the vast majority of the time. “Almost 95 percent of decisions made by the umpires are correct. The umpires also do a lot that spectators don’t see. They ensure the continuity, fairness and spirit of the game are upheld.”
But he believes the introduction of technology to cricket creates a fairer environment by diminishing the number of critical errors. “If major errors occur at critical times in the game, they can have a huge impact. The technology gets those decisions out of the game. Players, spectators and umpires want to see a fair game.
“It’s important to keep umpiring a traditional part of the game – and this system still ensures the umpires on the field are making the majority of the decisions.”
Every decision made by an international umpire is captured by camera and analysed by the ICC to help choose the best of the best when it comes to selection and performance measurement. These videos allow us to choose the best possible umpires,” Cowie says. “We review the footage objectively to choose our umpires. Umpires and their mentors also use the same videos for development and improvement.”
In Cowie’s umpiring days, there was no such thing as the DRS. He had to keep his eyes on the ball, on the game and on the players. That, he says, was one of his favourite parts. “Umpires traditionally enjoy watching bowlers because they have to focus on the ball. It’s a luxury seeing great bowlers up close and what they can do with each delivery. Akram, McGrath, Younis, Muralitharan, Warne, all great bowlers,” he says. “I thoroughly enjoyed umpiring at the Adelaide Oval. It has a rich tradition and variety of environments for all spectators which is wonderful.”
He’s travelled the world being the man in the middle and although cricket plays a huge role in his adventures; his passion is also for local cuisine and wines. Wherever he travelled he collected a bottle of wine. “It’s a shame we didn’t teach the French how to play cricket,” he laughs. Later in his career his wife travelled with him and he says it’s always nice to share exceptional experiences with someone special.
His passion for people and wine will continue long after he has left ICC. Cowie will reignite his performance management business and in his spare time enjoy a nice drop with some good friends.
Although he’s called an end to the innings at ICC, Doug Cowie hasn’t finished yet and he still has the energy and vivacity to continue to make an impact in whatever he chooses to do.
