Howzat… the fielders and the bowler appeal for a bat and pad catch, whereas you as the umpire believe that the batsman was ‘leg before wicket’… what do you do? The answer is… Howzat covers any or every kind of appeal, hence you raise your finger and clarify to the scorers that the batsman was lbw.

Out or not out? That is the million-dollar question because one decision by the umpire can change the course of the match, the course of a player’s career and dent his own credibility. The laws of the game are very clear if you are a qualified umpire but when you have to make a split session decision, nobody wants to be in your shoes.

Step into an umpire’s shoes with ‘You Are the Umpire’ and make the call! There is a countless bombardment of trivia in this book that will keep you engrossed as well as informed about the laws of the game. Every situation is different from the previous one and you get to test your knowledge of cricket. What to do when the bat breaks in two and the broken part hits the wicket; will you raise your finger if the fielder catches the ball after it deflects from a flying bird; or what would you do if the batsman (also the captain) declares the innings as soon as he is convinced that the fielder will catch the ball?

Drawn by veteran artist Paul Trevillion, who has been drawing cricketers since 1952, in consultation with one of the best Test umpires John Holder, ‘You are the Umpire’ is the ‘Ultimate Illustrated Guide to the Laws of Cricket.’ Based on the famous and highly popular ‘You Are the Ref’ comic strip series, the comic strips in this collection deal with matters of cricket. In just one strip -- consisting of three windows -- you will get to know as many as 3 things related to cricket that you took for granted!

What this book does is remove the countless misconceptions in the mind of a cricket fan -- especially the ones who think they know it all. The comic strips here can easily help in bringing an end to the confrontations between two rival groups -- be it on the street, in the house or anywhere with a TV present. The best part about the book is that it deviates from the regular question-answer formats, and presents the logic, the scenario to the reader in words of a former Test Umpire (also a former cricketer) and with the help of illustrations by Europe’s foremost sports illustrator.

‘You are the Umpire’ also contains plenty of history that would be loved by all cricket lovers. How the game started, which teams played the first match, how the game became popular amongst the general public etc is discussed in the book. Then there is the story of the evolution of the bat, the ball and the wicket. You would be surprised to know how much these three elements of cricket have evolved since their inception. There is also a chapter on Umpiring signals which can be a cricket fan’s point of reference.

They say that never judge a book by its cover and same goes for this book. One look at the ‘You Are the Umpire’ will make you believe that you are looking at a cricket law book with sketches of players inside. In reality, this collection has statistical sketches of renowned cricketers including Pakistan’s Imran Khan and Wasim Akram to the recently retired Kevin Pietersen, former Aussie captain and renowned commentator Richie Benaud, Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev and Andrew Flintoff etc. to go with the illustrations that will keep you busy.

I bet you didn’t know that if a bail flies off the wicket and lands exactly on its position, not out is the verdict. If a fielder drops the ball and it lands on his fallen hat, it is an ‘out’ and that if a huge batsman enters the field with a gigantic bat, the umpire can object to his choice of willow! With an introduction by Australia’s greatest leg spinner Shane Warne -- who clearly states that he respects the umpires for what they do -- and a guide to draw like Paul Trevillion, this book is a treasure trove for trivia lovers and a must-have -- or if you don’t want to buy it, a must-read -- for cricket fanatics.  Howzat!