Billy Doctrove signalling six during the Carib Beer final between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

by HAYDN GILL in Trinidad

"IT'S like a dream come true."

Billy Doctrove's jubilation is understandable. His is a profession in which many are called but few are chosen.

His appointment to the elite panel of international umpires is the most significant achievement in the career of the 50-year-old Dominican.

Four years ago, he wasn't thinking about such lofty heights.

Today, he is even willing to give up his full-time job at home if he has no choice.

"I was very elated when I heard I was appointed to the panel. I knew that I was being considered. It was like a dream come true," Doctrove told MIDWEEKSPORT.

"My elevation means that I was making good progress. I am very, very happy now that I have the opportunity to work together with the top umpires in the world. It will improve me as an umpire."

Doctrove's appointment comes at a time when the scope for development in the role is so limited these days.

In 2002, when the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to establish a small panel of umpires to officiate in all Test matches and limited the elite group to just eight, Doctrove and other fledgling umpires virtually had the door closed on them.

Through sound performances in One-Day Internationals in the Caribbean and other global tournaments, mainly at lower levels, it opened again and Doctrove has made it through.

A decision by the game's governing body to expand the panel to ten against the background of an increasing workload for the existing panel led to Doctrove being one of three umpires gaining elevation.

When the panel first came on stream in 2002, Doctrove only had two Tests to his name and the immediateprospects of getting any more weren't good.

"I knew that it would be tough. I knew the capable umpires were there," he said.

"It was limiting the scope for umpires, but I knew that if I continued to improve my own game . . .

"I never really gave it much thought when the elite panel came into effect. There were eight umpires and most of us were of the opinion it would retard the growth of umpires."

The role of an elite umpire requires constant travelling from continent to continent for the majority of the year.

It means that Doctrove will be unavailable to continue in his function as a sports officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in Dominica, but he isn't ruling out being involved there again.

"This is something that I've been talking about with my employers," he said.

"What the ICC is saying is that they want first call on your time. Whenever they call you, they want you to give them first opportunity.

"If my employers tell me I have to give up my job, I'll have to. Right now, we're in the process of talking."

While Doctrove had been given international exposure in the 2004 Champions Trophy, the 2004 and 2006 Youth World Cups, his performances in recent overseas Tests would have gone a long way to sealing his appointment to the elite panel.

He stood in three Tests, involving Australia and South Africa, the first in Perth in December and the other two in Cape Town and Durban last month.

The Perth match, apart from one error, earned him very high marks.

"It was my best Test match. I had an exceptional match. It was a major. It was like the icing on the cake," Doctrove said.

"I also had Steve [Bucknor] working with me in two of the Test matches. It helped my comfort zone because Steve and I know each other well. We are good friends. Working with him has helped me quite a bit."

In Doctrove's estimation, his consistency over an extended period, would also have been noticed.

"Over the two-year period that was reviewed, I had some very good reports from the ICC, team captains and match referees," he said.

"I knew that my decision-making had improved a lot. I got some very good marks in my assessment over the past three years. Based on my decision-making, that was the deciding factor."

His goals are simple.

"In the first instance, I have been given a one-year contract and hoping that when the evaluations are made at the end of that year that I will continue," he said.

"My short-term and long-terms goals are similar – to do well within the one-year so that I can have my contract extended."

Those who followed Doctrove in his early days would have known his trademark – running around the ground before the start of play in an effort to maintain fitness levels and help his concentration.

It is something, however, we don't see these days.

"I don't do much of it on the field anymore. Sometimes you have to go to the match dressed," he said.

"I still do a lot of my training before. That is a change I had to make. It wasn't a conscious decision that I made not to do it anymore. It's just that over the past few years, because of circumstances, I've not been able to."

haydngill@nationnews.com