English umpires Peter Willey and George Sharp refuse to retire at the age of 65

Peter Willey (R) officiated during the 2003 ODI World Cup in South Africa

Peter Willey and George Sharp, two eminent umpires of the English first-class game, intend taking the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to court in an attempt to lengthen their umpiring careers beyond the age of 65. Willey and Sharp have to compulsorily retire at the end of the ongoing county season as per the ECB rules, which state that an umpire cannot continue officiating once he reaches the age of 65. But the two umpires in question aren’t keen on hanging up their boots in the near future and wish to challenge the ECB’s current policy.

Willey, who is highly regarded by the players and his fellow umpires in the county circuit, was a part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires from 1996 to 2003. He also had an illustrious playing career with Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and England before retiring at the age of 41.

"I would like to do a couple more years, but if it all ends next month, I will still have had a very happy time. Our legal people are looking into what we should do," Willey said.

ECB not willing to compromise

The ECB, though, is firm on its policy of mandatory retirement as it wishes to encourage recently retired cricketers searching for another career within the game.

"We want cricketers who give up playing in their mid-thirties to have the chance of umpiring as a second career. History shows that former players make good umpires so we need to provide some certainty as to when opportunities will arise," an ECB spokesman said.

Willey defiant

Willey is intent on carrying on umpiring for another year or two, but he acknowledged that all the first-class umpires are not on the same page on the matter. "Our younger colleagues want us to go, so as not to block their progress, and the older ones are not quite sure. I would not want to go on forever, for I did as a player. When I retired at 41, things were not working properly," Willey said.

Willey, to his credit though, has no intention of blocking the development of the younger umpires and realizes that there is a need for them to be officiating in the big matches in order to progress.

"Young umpires do need experience of matches such as MCC vs. Champion County, rather than us continuing to do these," he admitted.