NEWS » ield he felt like hed just pass out there.Kiermai

Recently, while interviewing a current international umpire, it was more than a little amusing to hear that, from time to time, he stands in front of the mirror and practises his out signal - dont we all? - taking care to project just the right amount of confidence. Keeping his finger in, you might say.You get told to, he explained. You dont want to come across as wimpish.Yet neither do you want to come across as some guillotine-wielding martinet. Its a delicate thing, sentencing a batsman to his symbolic death. Theres a fairly narrow band of gestural acceptability, much like the range of habitable temperatures on earth. Undoubtedly there have been a few umpires whose executioners gesture has been authoritarian to the point of being antagonistic.While all this isnt exactly the stuff of YouTube compilations, a couple that spring to mind are that inveterate not-outer Dickie Bird, whose slightly manic gesticulation was like a grouchy old recluse chasing a couple of scrumpers from his garden, and Rudi Koertzen, who always seemed to relish the whole thing just a little too much. Giving someone out is an inherently mannered act, of course, since youre not born with your own way of doing it, but Koertzens slow death was unbearably pompous and solemn. My own preference was for the apologetic shrug: I dont want to do this, but youve let the ball hit you on the shin in front of middle stump, so…If transmitting confidence is the basis of an umpires match management, then its fair to say Bruce Oxenford had something of a mini-meltdown in Mumbai. Four overs after erroneously giving Jonny Bairstow caught behind in Englands second innings, he adjudged him caught at short leg off R Ashwin. Bairstow immediately put fist to forearm - body language that we can decode as either absolute certainty or blind self-interest - at which point the camera caught an aggrieved Oxenford grimacing like a man whod just stirred two spoonfuls of salt into his cuppa. Fack.It isnt just umpires who have to mind their body language. Evidently its an important aspect of what players get up to on the field, not least in trying to, erm, influence the umpires. For batsmen who have feathered the ball to the wicketkeeper - or perhaps via the keepers gloves to slip - its well worth mastering the butter-wouldnt-melt expression, since our fallible, malleable human perceptual capabilities are continuously susceptible to subliminal cues and micro gestures. If the opposition happens to have no reviews, or youre playing a level of cricket other than international, then this might even win you the match. Whatever you choose to do - scratch your guard, chuckle wryly, anything bar an eagle-eyed stare down the pitch - the basic idea is to immediately convey to the umpire not only that the appeal is wrong but that it is utterly preposterous, possibly even an affront to the game, certainly to their unimpeachable faculties of judgement.On the flip side, the DRS really ought to temper certain types of excessively excitable appeal - from the celebrappeal to the swarm - when they are artfully contrived to con an umpire. So youre not giving that out then? No, but feel free to use one of your reviews. Well, actually, we dont think it was out either... Either that or you follow the shamelessly brass-necked deception through to its inevitably self-defeating consequences. You knew it wasnt really out, but because the opposition had no reviews left, you thought that if the umpire were to give it then thered be no recourse to contest the decision, yet since he didnt give it out, then, even though you know it wasnt out, youre forced to burn a review on it in order to save face, to not be open to the charge of cheating. What delicious psychological knots! Its like the plot to every other episode of Frasier.Of course, players body language also bears directly upon the mano a mano struggle of a match - as Shane Warne, that renowned expert in con-man kinesics, used to say: driving onto a ground mid-game, you shouldnt be able to tell whos on top from the body language of the fielding side - but it is perhaps most important of all in the way a captain carries himself (certainly across the long haul of developing a strong team culture as opposed to merely winning a Big Moment or Crucial Session). Michael Vaughan - English crickets yin to the yang of Nasser Hussains perma-prickliness - has admitted that his outward imperturbability was often just an act. But which is better? Was Vaughans way more congenial to building a winning team than occasionally chucking your toys from the pram, or might calm inscrutability be construed as bloodlessness and passivity?The answer is that there is no right answer. Communication is all trial and error. An animal displays aggression, but it doesnt know whether the target animal will be cowed and retreat or stand and fight. The meaning of a gesture or sign is thus always more than the simple information it conveys, always tied in to various complex, contextual factors.Take Virat Kohli. As a batsman, his body language is almost always buoyant. He struts. The more runs he scores, the more he emits what we might call, with a nod to Donald Trump, swaggerdoccio. Each major innings adds to his stature as a leader. But as Max Weber, the German theorist of the sources of authority, might well have said, a cricket captain must do more than simply stack up runs, no matter how big the pile. He also has to get the best from ten other personalities. And he needs to make good tactical decisions, preferably using strong body language. Bluffed certainty is better than honest vacillation, for things can always be undone. (Once, in a club match, I immediately stationed two short extra covers for Alfonso Thomas. It was a ruse, an attempt to spook him. Later, while bowling me three or four bouncers an over, he observed: Youre a better f**ing captain than you are a batsman, mate. I took it as a compliment.)There are occasions in the field (less frequent of late, to be sure) when Kohli appears irritable and petulant, particularly with the slapstick efforts of his less mobile fielders. With Ashwin, the kingpin who balances his side, any annoyance is immediately swallowed. With Cheteshwar Pujara, lumbering fielder and good-but-not-quite-as-good-as-me batsman (one who was apparently asked to score at a quicker rate, or, to split hairs, show greater intent), those frustrations are usually left plastered across his face. Such are the complex politics into which bodily gestures are inserted. And make no mistake, they all leave a mark on the collective memory, on the esprit de corps: tolerated today, amid the champagne of victory, yet within the glacial rhythms at which a team culture develops, they may resurface later, the crack having become a fissure.Either way, its too simplistic to say that Kohlis gesticulations are wrong, or that some of his body language is counterproductive. We cannot know whats said behind closed doors, how much carrot juice is used as balm after a beating with the stick. This is a supremely driven and fit man, himself an excellent fielder, evidently troubled by some of his sides lack of athleticism. In that sense, he is merely trying to bootstrap his team toward excellence. Which is good. But to browbeat and chastise people who are trying their best can also be corrosive.All is ambivalent within crickets semiotic system - except, perhaps, the umpires raised finger, even when its crooked.Kevin Faulk Womens Jersey . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Tedy Bruschi Patriots Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/Elite-John-Hannah-Patriots-Jersey/ . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. John Hannah Youth Jersey . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Stephon Gilmore Patriots Jersey . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The American League West-leading Texas Rangers try to get back on a winning track when they face the Tampa Bay Rays in the rubber match of a three-game series at Tropicana Field on Sunday afternoon.The Rangers send left-hander Martin Perez (8-8, 4.09 ERA) to the mound to face off against Rays lefty Drew Smyly (5-11, 4.85).Texas (73-51) had its four-game winning streak snapped in an 8-2 loss Saturday against the Rays. The game got out of reach when the Rays scored four runs in the seventh inning off of Rangers reliever Keone Kela. Rangers manager Jeff Banister says his team has to pull it together quickly.Weve got some work yet to do, Banister said. We get Smyly, obviously another really good arm, guys been pitching well of late. Weve got to go out and put together a good baseball game.The Rangers have struggled against Smyly, hitting .205 with only six extra-base hits lifetime against him.Tampa Bay (51-70) is far out of any sort of playoff race but manager Kevin Cash is looking for some consistency from his ball club as it tries to avoid any more extended losing streaks for the rest of the season.I think its important to be able to bounce back after a loss and not let it linger, Cash said. Thats what was so encouraging about (Saturday). We were able to come back out and play a good baseball game.The Rays have been dealing with plenty of injuries in the recent week. Before Saturdays game, the team announced that Nick Franklin would be placed on the seven-day cooncussion disabled list after he was hit on the batting helmet by Kevin Kiermaiers bat on Wednesday.dddddddddddd Franklin tried to return Friday but said when he went out to left field he felt like hed just pass out there.Kiermaier missed Saturdays game with hip soreness after he was pulled out of Fridays game after two innings. Its uncertain whether hell be back in the lineup Sunday.Logan Forsythe, however, appears to be on track to return Sunday after missing the past games with back spasms. The Rays would definitely welcome his bat back in the lead-off spot but Cash said the team has to continue to battle through adversity.Sure youd like to have all your guys healthy but thats not realistic over the course of a season, Cash said. We will play with the guys that we have and try to make it work.They will face Perez, who is coming off of a solid outing against the Oakland Athletics when he gave up one run and five hits in seven innings to earn the win. It was Perezs first win in his last eight starts even though hes pitched at least seven innings in three of his last four turns.Its uncertain if the Rangers will have the services of third baseman Adrian Beltre on Sunday as he decides whether to take bereavement leave for a death in his family. Beltre was informed of his grandfathers death before Fridays game. He is 6-for-9 in the series with two home runs. ' ' '