BCCI unhappy with Simon Taufel's role as mentor to Indian umpires

Taufel, who retired from umpiring after the 2012 ICC World T20, was roped in by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2013 for a hefty fee in a bid to improve the umpiring standards in India. According to a report in the Times of India, the Australian is being a paid a salary of $50,000 for a year, but many in the Board is not satisfied with his work.

The board wants to cut out unnecessary expenditure. Much was expected of Taufel but his work over the past couple of years hasn't been satisfactory. The board is willing to look at someone else."

Unnamed BCCI official

"The board wants to cut out unnecessary expenditure. Much was expected of Taufel but his work over the past couple of years hasn't been satisfactory. The board is willing to look at someone else," a top BCCI official told TOI, adding: "He spent very little time in India. If you add up the days he spends before the Ranji Trophy and the IPL, he interacts with Indian umpires at the most for a fortnight a year. It is not worth paying him so much."

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After Taufel’s appointment, umpire S Ravi managed to break into the ICC’s elite panel of umpires. After the retirement of S Venkataraghavan in 2004, India did not have a representative in the ICC’s elite panel till Ravi’s inclusion. Umpires C Shamshuddin and Anil Chaudhary also made it to the list of on-field umpires in the ICC's international panel after Taufel’s appointment.

He was initially given a two-year contract. But his performance was reviewed last year and it was decided he should be given only one-year contracts."

Unnamed BCCI official

Taufel, who was named ICC's umpire of the year in 2004 and 2008, had resigned from his post of ICC's umpire performance and training manager last October.

"He was initially given a two-year contract. But his performance was reviewed last year and it was decided he should be given only one-year contracts. There's no denying that there has been a healthy change since he took over but our umpires too have evolved a lot," noted another BCCI official. "If there is a change in ICC regulation or something like that, the board can always hire the services of a professional."

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