Former Australian Test player Reiffel turns umpire

Retired Australian Test cricketer Paul Reiffel is hoping to start a new international career as an umpire.

The veteran of 35 Tests and 92 one-day internationals says he became hooked on umpiring after officiating at a low-grade club match in Melbourne.

The 36-year-old has been added to a special training programme run by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) that encourages ex-players to try their hand at umpiring.

Under the scheme, Reiffel will spend the next Australian summer officiating in first-grade district matches but could be fast-tracked to first-class games if he shows promise.

"The ACB is striving to develop the best umpires in the world and I am confident our umpiring initiatives will make this happen," ACB chief executive officer James Sutherland said in a statement.

"With knowledge and experience of the game at the highest level, former first-class players are well positioned to make a significant contribution."

Reiffel, who was once fined for disputing an umpire's decision in the 2000-01 Australian interstate final, said he had never contemplated a career as an umpire until he retired.

"Being an umpire is not something that you grow up really wanting to be, you want to play," he said.

"... but once my playing days were finished I always thought that I wanted to stay involved with cricket and the umpiring avenue is good timing for me.

"There's a little carrot dangling there to get back to international cricket and to get out there in front of the crowds again and be involved in the atmosphere that I loved as player."

Although a handful of former Test players have gone on to umpire at international level, no Australian has ever made the transition at that level.

Mail Cricket Editor