New Zealand cricket umpire Barry Frost has headed to Melbourne in an exchange organised between NZC and Cricket Australia.
Frost is standing in a Weetbix Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Queensland, while his Australian counterpart Simon Fry stands in a Plunket Shield fixture between the Aces and Stags in Auckland.
The exchange is a Prime Minister’s scholarship, with funding provided by Sparc. The goal of the exchange is to build stronger relationships between umpires in Australian and New Zealand and give the umpires exposure to different cricketing environments.
Frost is looking forward to the experience. “I think the exchanges we have with South Africa, and now with Australia and Sri Lanka are tremendous,” he said. “It will help improve the standard of umpiring in New Zealand. The exchanges will give us the opportunity to experience different conditions and help us build knowledge of the game. It’s invaluable.”
The highlight for Frost will be standing at an iconic ground. “It’s a real thrill to be able to stand at the MCG,” he said. “And it’s also a real thrill to be umpiring Sheffield Shield cricket and being able to compare the standard of play to New Zealand.”
