Aspiring cricket umpires have been invited by the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association to sign up for a six-week training course between October and November.

The BCUA has called upon active players and anyone with an interest in the game to enlist for learning, with no playing experience required, as the association will provide all the necessary training.

Marc McCormack, the BCUA secretary who made his debut as a Cup Match umpire last week, spoke of the difficulties the association is facing in terms of numbers.

The challenges were laid bare when Roger Dill, one of the senior match officials, broke an ankle during a match at Somerset Cricket Club last month, resulting in a member of the groundstaff being called on to officiate.

“At present, we have 20 active umpires,” he said.

“We have five females, of which two are actively involved. On any given weekend, we are three or four umpires short due to other commitments, and this may leave some matches without umpires.”

According to the BCUA, some of the benefits of taking up the course are learning the Laws of Cricket while getting trained by certified instructors.

Opportunities to umpire locally and internationally, a pathway to West Indies Cricket Umpires Association certification and the potential to become ICC-qualified are the other advantages.

The BCUA encouraged those interested to enrol early, as only a certain number can be accepted. Anyone interested can contact the association via e-mail at bcua.umpires@gmail.com.

“We said space is limited as the facility can accommodate only 20 people for real comfort,” McCormack added.

“The initial course is six weeks, but training happens throughout the season when we meet on Tuesday each week.”