“Whenever I used to play a rash shot, he used to scold me” - Virender Sehwag to Kumar Sangakkara, cricket fraternity pays tribute to Rudi Koertzen

Rudi Koertzen, the former ICC elite panel umpire from South Africa, has passed away at the age of 73. He died in a car accident while driving from Cape Town to Despatch in Eastern Cape, South Africa, according to media reports.

Koertzen officiated a total of 331 international matches until his retirement in 2010. At the time, this was the record for the highest number of international appearances by an umpire. Pakistan's Aleem Dar has since broken the record. Dar, Steve Bucknor of Jamaica, and Koertzen are the only three umpires to have officiated in over 100 Tests.

Koertzen’s last match as an umpire after international retirement was an IPL 2011 clash between Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru. The highly-respected South African was given the nickname “Slow Death” because he raised his finger in almost slow motion to declare a batter out.

Some members of the cricket fraternity took to Twitter to pay tribute to the former umpire. Here are some reactions from social media:

“A true legend” - Aleem Dar, Marais Erasmus remember Rudi Koertzen

Reacting to the news of Koertzen’s demise, Pakistani umpire Dar described him as an “excellent colleague” and someone who was “always very cooperative on field”. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he said:

"It is a very big loss foremost for his family and then for South Africa and cricket. I stood in so many games with him. He was not only very good as an umpire but also an excellent colleague, always very cooperative on field and also always willing to help off the field. Because of the way he was, he was also well-respected by players."

Fellow South African umpire Marais Erasmus added:

"Rudi was such a strong character, physically and mentally. He paved the way for South African umpires to get to the world stage. Made us all believe it's possible. A true legend. As a young umpire I learnt a lot from him."

Koertzen made his international debut as an umpire at the age of 43. His first international series was India's tour of South Africa in 1992-93.