FORMER Cootamundra umpire Chris Cassin reached another career milestone this year when he received a personal invitation to stand in the Prime Minister’s XI.
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Though Australia lost the annual match, Chris described the experience of umpiring in front of over 8 000 spectators as “awesome”.
“The skill level of both teams was there for all to see, as the scorecard shows,” Chris said.
Highlights of the day for Chris included seeing Ian Bell’s record tally of 187, admiring the skill of Australian batsman Glenn "The Big Show" Maxwell, witnessing two double centuries in another game, and getting a look at up-and-coming talent.
He was also invited to attend a cocktail party at Parliament House the night before, where he met Prime Minister Tony Abbott as well as officials and players, including Michael Hussey.
Chris’s career as an umpire began in Cootamundra back in 2003, and since then he has stood in over 400 matches across 40 different competitions on over 100 grounds, including the Sydney Cricket Ground.
He has umpired international players, including Australian cricket captains Michael Clarke and Steve Smith, and aims to maintain his progress with Cricket Australia.
“I will continue to work hard to see what other opportunities and challenges I will be given,” Chris said.
