Well done MCA! Still, there is a need to fine tune.

A gag order and a banning order were the prescription of MCA on the events relating to a national umpire, 2 national players and the national coach. It took sometime for MCA to move but having done so they seem decisive. Now, a meeting with the group of national umpires is scheduled and an enquiry to an incident in May is also on the card. The latest incident, which includes the national coach and national captain is yet to be fixed.

Why such a delay in getting down to resolving the problem? Allowing these incidents to happen and not acting on it permitted a series of other incidents, and the result is the current predicament. Anyway it is the past, but it is important that MCA learns from this experience.

As for the meeting with the Umpires, it is important for MCA to hear out their problem. These are people who have to make split second decisions and also having to tolerate the mercy of the daily weather. On top of it they have to accommodate the players from their appeals, to staring eyes and at times cynical comments. Some of these antics can be very testing for the umpires.

On the other side, we also have to consider the plight of players, especially those who are highly competitive. It gets very trying, annoying and irritating when there are incompetent umpires in the field. The players get to a "breaking point" and then let loose their tempers. This is when flare up takes place between players and umpires.

All these could be avoided if strict code of conduct is enforced with regard to players. As for the umpires, it is important that the right qualified personalities are selected for the matches. Further, regular umpire seminars should be held including discussing existing and potential problems. This way the umpires as a body can take a common stance on a number of issues and at the same time uplift themselves technically.

As for what had happened in May and June 2008, those involved as players do not really have much of an excuse. They are Senior national players, more so for the National Captain who had walked into the field to question the umpire. Indeed, what is shocking is that the umpire was attempting to protect the national players from bouncers and beamers.

As for the National Coach, this is a serious matter. The position he holds and the fact that he is a former Test cricketer means he must carry with him responsibilities. To walk into the field and intimidate an umpire is completely outside any reasonable grounds of excuse. As a coach he had shown to his players the level of indiscipline he himself has. There may come a time when his players lack the discipline and then what is he going to do? The lack of proper judgement by the coach is a bad example and it will not help in moulding the national team into a disciplined cricket team.

As for the umpire, he should have brought this to the notice of MCA immediately and insisted for an inquiry. Allowing the problem to brew for a while is a failure in discharging his duty properly. This shortcoming in him has probably endangered his other colleagues and permitted the problem to get out of hand.

As for MCA, the multiple conflicts the Team Manager has to overcome because of his various positions is also a key contributory factor to these incidents. The slow speed in which MCA works, plus attempting to sweep the issue under the carpet did not help to contain the problem.

All in all, now MCA has gone on to the "first gear" in wanting to resolve this problem. Lets see how fast they switch gears and ensure everything is properly done. Finally, its the decision they make will determine what MCA is all about.