PAUL Wilson lived out his childhood dream by taking the new ball for Australia in Test and one-day international cricket, but the peak of his playing career never quite coincided with a World Cup tournament.
As an umpire, however, he's become a regular fixture on his sport's biggest stage.
The former Southern Lakes fast bowler is officiating in his third Twenty20 World Cup this year - two men's editions and one for the women - and was also involved in the men's 50-over version in England in 2019.
The towering 50-year-old was on duty in Hobart on Monday as the West Indies did battle with Scotland in the Group B qualifier before the main event, which starts on Saturday.
Wilson said it was always a thrill to be part of a World Cup, but to do so in Australia was even more special.
"Obviously getting to do it at home is fantastic," he said. "It's normally overseas, so it's awesome to be able to do it at home."
After overseeing the qualifying matches between the West Indies, Ireland and Scotland in Hobart, Wilson said he will "basically fly all over the place" during the rest of the tournament.
"Off to Perth, back to Melbourne, and then three games in Sydney," the Medowie-based Wilson said. "We get about nine or 10 games each before the finals."
After spending eight seasons playing for Western Australia, South Australia and the national team, big "Blocker" was provided with a fast-track pathway into the umpiring ranks, alongside the likes of Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker.
He has since become a long-term member of the international panel, handling his first white-ball games in 2014 before graduating to Test matches in 2019.
He said that while the fundamentals remain the same, it was "a different experience" standing behind the stumps in the various formats.
"Obviously Test matches go for longer, so you're in the dirt for six-and-a-half hours most days," he said. "It's potentially five days, 90 overs a day, and you have to be up for it every day. But T20s, you have to be on your toes because there's always so much going on. Obviously in T20s, with the big bats and their ability to hit the ball 360 degrees, you've got to be prepared for anything. In the white-ball games, they'll play shots you wouldn't expect to see in Tests, so anything can happen."
Just as he experienced pre-match nerves as a player, Wilson said as an umpire he felt the same butterflies in the lead-up to any game.
"Absolutely," he said. "Whether you're a player or an umpire, you'll find everybody gets nervous.
"I'd be a bit worried if that didn't happen, to be honest."
Wilson hopes to continue sharing the field with the world's best players for a good while yet.
"I'm 50 now, but I'd like to think I could go on for at least another 10 years," he said.
"A lot of us are in our late 50s. We've got Bruce Oxenford on the international panel, who's in his early 60s.
"I guess like when I was a player, I'll know when the time is right to step aside."
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
OR IF YOUR PIECE HAS CLOSED COMMENTS
