(Cricket news) Roly Black, 51, has been umpiring since 2006 and stood in his first international match in 2016. He was one of four umpires to be awarded a full-time season contract by Cricket Ireland in 2019, and is presently a member of Cricket Ireland’s International Umpire Panel. 

He stood as an umpire at the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in 2019, at the ICC Men’s Under-19s World Cup in South Africa in 2020, and at the ICC Men’s Under-19s World Cup in the Caribbean – eventually being elected as an on-field umpire in the Final.

“It’s great, ultimately, to be here – I have never umpired in Zimbabwe before, very adjacent to these conditions was the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in 2020. In the lead-up to the tournament, we will umpire in two warm-up matches, which will authorize us to have a better understanding of how the pitches will play in regards to pace, bounce and spin.” Black said.

In terms of the tournament, match officials are fully conscious of the importance and enormity of such events to both the players and the participating countries. We have just finished an extensive two-day workshop to ensure that we as a match officials group, are as best prepared as possible.

Black mentioned, “There’s welcome news that we’ll have the benefit of DRS for the Super Six stage of the tournament – at this level there is always going to be scrutiny and pressure in what you do, it is all part of the role, so such support is invaluable.

Despite how coerced the fixture may be to the teams on the field, however, as an umpire you can’t let the pressure consume you. It is necessary that you embrace it, rise to the challenge, trust your processes and do everything you can to work towards a positive outcome.”

Black recently stood in the three-day match between Ireland Men and Essex:

“It was really delightful to get back into multiday format again, many would say the purest format of the game. There are many different provocations in the longer format, general match management, bowlers bowling longer spells, close fielders around the bat, fitness and attentiveness especially going into days three or four.” Black stated

Black will have a full schedule of the Qualifier matches to officiate:

“Non-match days can also be busy with post-match debriefs, self-reflection, recovery in the gym, and preparation for your next game, such as TV simulations or research on players. We could also be traveling between Harare and Bulawayo.”

To run off from the intensity of a tournament like the Qualifiers, downtime for me is just loosening up and connecting with family at home, going to the gym or watching a movie or boxset that I have downloaded. If the opportunity arises, I would hope to embrace some of the local culture or visit some of the well know local attractions.” Black added.

Also read: https://spogonews.com/england-announce-playing-xi-for-the-1st-ashes-test/