The New Zealand cricket umpire Billy Bowden will find himself in the hot seat quite literally, having been appointed to control two of the four upcoming tests between Australia and India, in India.
Umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson, who presided over last summer's hot tempered Sydney Test between Australia and India, are conspicuous by their absence from the panel announced today for this month's return series.
The pair were roundly criticised for their handling of the series in Australia where Andrew Symonds and Harbajan Singh in particular had a series of verbal exchanges.
South African Rudi Koertzen and Pakistani Asad Rauf will take the first two Tests in Bangalore and Mohali, before Bowden and Aleem Dar, also from Pakistan, look after the third and fourth Tests in Delhi and Nagpur.
