Australian umpire Hospitalised after Massive blow to face before Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Australian umpire Tony DeNobregagot hospitalised last weekend as he suffered a massive blow to his face. Tony DeNobrega faced a hit by a straight drive.

An Australian umpire got hospitalised last weekend as he suffered a massive blow to his face. Tony DeNobrega faced a hit by a straight drive.

According to Western Ausralian Suburban Turf Cricket Umpires Association, DeNobrega got kept under supervision of the doctors for a day, since surgery was not in question.

“Spending the night in hospital Tony was fortunate enough not to have had any broken bones however the doctors are keeping him under observation as surgery is not out of the question. We wish Tony all the best for a fast recovery from this terrible incident and look forward to him being up and about shortly. The umpiring team is right behind you mate. Rest up Tony.” posted the WASTCA Umpires Association on their Facebook account.

A couple of umpires have died in the past decade due to being hit by a ball. The most recent accident was in 2019 where 80-year-old John Williams faced a fatal hit during a match in Wales.

Almost a decade ago, former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Rod Marsh asked for a change in rules for umpires can stand further away from the stumps. This will help them avoid the ball in case if it comes in their directions.

“It’s only a matter of time before an umpire in an international or first-class match is seriously hurt, if not killed,” Marsh said in 2015.

“If I happened to be umpiring right now I’d be wearing a baseball catcher’s helmet, a chest pad and shin guards,” he added.