Why AUCUS? Let's just take a brief overview of Cricket in Austria. There are currently 14 Cricket Clubs in Austria and three grounds with artificial pitches (one in Seebarn, Lower Austria, one in Velden, Carinthia, and one in Vienna, 22. district). Probably the most important fact is that there are an increasing number of children and youths playing cricket now. Hence, it is the right time to put the next piece in the Austrian Cricket jigsaw puzzle: institutionalising umpiring & scoring.

About 30 years ago, the situation was quite different, when a few enthusiasts started playing Cricket (note: Cricket was played briefly around the turn of the 20th century in Austria). In terms of the development of umpiring in Austria, the first high-level umpiring course was conducted by Alf and George Powley, who were overseas instructors of the ACU&S, in the late 1980s. Such umpiring seminars are still repeated:

• 2001 - ECC Umpiring Course, Velden, where Slovenian and Austrian umpires took part. Instructor: John Middleton
  

• 2001 - AUCUS Intro Umpiring & Scoring Course, Vienna, Instructors: S. Khanna/G.Tebb/H. Zikuda/W.Blaschke
  

• 2003 - ECC Intro Course, Vienna, Instructor: Graham Cooper

• 2003 - Boundary Assessment of Umpires, Vienna, Instructor: Graham Cooper
  

• 2004 - ECC Intro Course, Vienna, Instructor: Graham Cooper

• 2006 - AUCUS Umpiring Intro Course, Vienna, Instructors:  S. Khanna/G.Tebb/M. Bailey/W.Blaschke

• 2009 - ICC In-County Course and ICC ECB Level 1 Course, Vienna
  

• 2009 - ICC ECB ACO Level 1 Course, Vienna, Instructor: Ray Holyer
• and other seminars will follow

Austrian umpires benefitted from the ICC Europe Development Programme not only by theoretical approach but also by gaining experience when they had been appointed for International Tournaments (For example:  Javea, Spain - Indoor; Gibraltar - U15; Corfu, Greece; ECC Trophy Austria,...).