UAE is almost like home for Umpire Buddhi Bahadur Pradhan. Since most of the ICC associate championships are played there, it has become second home for Buddhi. He is on a visit to UAE for the 13th time, to officiate in the ICC World Cricket League Championship and ICC Twenty20 qualifiers.
Buddhi has been raising his finger in the major tournaments of non-Test playing nations as he is the one of the umpires of ICC Associate and Affiliate panel. The 37-year-old, who has been in the panel since 2004, got the experience of a lifetime last month, officiating in the three day match between ICC Associate XI and England Lions. This match, played in UAE, had a first class match status. And Buddhi ‘umpired’, for the first time, where entire England ‘Test’ team was playing. In the 18 ODIs he has officiated, all the teams were associate members of ICC.
“Matchwise, that was my biggest match,” said Pradhan, “I got to know behavior of Test nation. The Test playing countries dominate with their body language itself.”
Officiating in the practice matches for Cricket World Cup 2011 was his biggest success, he tells you. “Even if it was a practice match, the match between New Zealand and Ireland was good competition due to good pitch in Nagpur,” he said.
The umpire for 11 first class matches is officiating in World Twenty20 qualifiers for the first time. He has been present in U-19 World Cup – a biannual event – since 2006. The Women’s World Cup qualifiers in Bangladesh last year was his first international women’s tournament.
Here he had a different experience. During the qualifiers, he was officiating the match along New Zealand’s Cathy Cross in the match between Bangladesh and Japan. “While umpiring with male colleague, we used to joke during drinks break. Working with female colleague, I had to be more careful,” he said.
ACC U-15 Cup in 2000 was the first international championship for Pradhan. In the next year, ICC Trophy in Canada got him an entry in ICC. In next 10 years, he became the number one umpire in ICC’s Associate and Affiliate panel. That’s why he got an opportunity to umpire in World Cup practice matches.
“Lifestyle has changed since I became international umpire. Many recognize me as Buddhi Pradhan. I will continue umpiring till I can,” he is committed to stand in the middle of the cricket ground.
During his playing days, he was an allrounder for Gurans Cricket Club in Biratnagar. But he gave up his cricketing kit for white coat, after he found it difficult to get into district selection despite good performance.
First time he did umpiring was in 1991, officiating in Gurans Cup. He has interesting memories of this. “Initially I told the organizers, I’d officiate. But they did not pay heed. Later, I was given a chance as one umpire did not turn up. Maybe my umpiring was so good, they told me to do it for every match.”
He came to Kathmandu for Mahavir Cup in 1994, after being recommended by Shirish Upadhyay, then a veteran umpire in domestic circuit, and Prafulla Vaidya – popular cricketer of those days – to President of Mahavir Club, Diwakar Ghale. He was marked by CAN officials then.
“After the final, when I came to get my certificate, all the players of the losing finalists, Yangal Cricket Club had given me a standing ovation. Later they invited me for a party. I remember it very well,” says Pradhan.
His first step in major domestic championship was Jay Trophy in 1996. During the tournament, Sunsari batsman Basant Sharma defended a ball. It was going towards the nonstriker’s wicket. Sharma deviated the ball with his bat. Bowler appealed and Pradhan gave Sharma out, for obstructing the field. Buddhi said, “The batsman asked me how was he out. I explained. Later, Sunsari coach told him, he could only be out obstructing the field.”
His first ever international course was Umpire and Scoring Course organized by ACC in Dhaka in 1999. In 2004, during the ACC umpiring course in Nepal, Sri Lankan umpire Peter Manuel told Buddhi, “You have good possibilities. You should work hard.” Pradhan remembers. Another noted umpire, K T Francis also praised him saying ‘Nepal has such good umpire’. Enough to boost this Nepali. In 2009, in World Cricket League Division 6, Pradhan officiated along World’s number one umpire, Simon Tauffel.
It’s difficult to say when this umpire from associate panel would be able to do that. But if that happens again, it would be a wonderful achievement for Buddhi and Nepali Cricket.