New Delhi: Umpire Nitin Menon has reckoned that officiating in a lot of India matches over the last three years have added a lot to his confidence ahead of Ashes 2023. Menon, who is the only Indian in the ICC Elite Panel of umpires, will be officiating in the last three Tests of ongoing Ashes.
Menon was put into ICC Elite Panel in 2020 after the COVID related restrictions made it difficult for the overseas officials to travel. Menon was given the responsibility of officiating majority of India’s games on home soil.
“When India play in India there is a lot of hype, a lot of big stars in the Indian team, they always try to create pressure on you, they always try to get those 50-50 decisions in favour of them,” Menon told PTI.
“But if we are in control of ourselves under pressure, then we don’t focus on what they are trying to do. It just shows that I am strong enough to handle any situation rather than getting worked up by the pressure created by players. That has given me a lot of self-confidence,” he added.
Menon was one of the umpires in the T20 World Cups in 2021 (UAE) and 2022 (Australia) and also officiated games in South Africa’s tour of England last year,. Since June 2020, Menon had stood in 15 Tests, 24 ODIs, and 20 T20Is.
According to Menon, officiating India’s games at home is lot more tough because of the pressure due to the presence of high-profile stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It makes the job lot easier for Menon when it comes to umpiring outside home.
“Leading the Indian international panel of umpires at home has also been a big responsibility. I did not have a lot of experience initially (when he entered ICC elite panel) but the last three years has helped me grow as an umpire,” he said.
“It has been an amazing experience working in the Indian sub-continent in the first two years, doing Test matches and then getting to officiate in T20 World Cups in Australia and Dubai. I work with the best match officials and players, which has added to my umpiring experience. I have learned a lot about my own character, how I behave under pressure, so lots of positives.”
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