4 Legends from the Golden Generation of Umpires

Cricket has a come a long way since it was introduced as a sport in terms of the way the game is approached and the conditions the game is played in. But the outcome of the game is purely based on batting, bowling and umpiring which is overlooked most number of times. There have been instances where one wrong decision swung the balance of the entire match.

Error in the judgment occurs and it is considered to be the part and parcel of the game. Before the advent of DRS (Decision Review System), the sport was lucky enough to have got a bunch of great and accurate umpires. DRS did more harm to them by questioning their decision and at times it can happen that the Umpire might take a backseat to give his decision.

The umpires of the pre-DRS era were prone to a lot of criticism unlike the present gen umpires because of the decisions they made on the field. In spite of all this, we have witnessed great umpiring in those days.

Here's list comprising the four best umpires of that generation:

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#1 David Shepherd

David Shepard Retires

He was a first class cricketer who played county cricket for Gloucestershire and then started his second innings as an Umpire. He has umpired in 92 Test matches and 172 ODIs including the World Cup finals of 1996,1999 and 2003. The pair of David Shepherd and Dickie Bird was highly regarded for the decisions they made.

He was a jovial character and his presence would cheer up the crowd thanks to his habit of lifting one foot off the ground whenever the score reached 111,222,333 etc… which he regarded as unlucky. He would come with a matchstick tied to his finger if a Friday fell on 13th to bring good luck.

He was part of the ICC's first Elite Panel of neutral umpires established in 2002 and retained his place unbroken until his retirement from umpiring in 2005. He was very tough in his decision making and became the first umpire to remove a bowler from the attack after Waqar Younis bowled two beamers against Australia in 2003.

During his final years as an umpire, he was lauded everywhere and was given a guard of honour by New Zealand and Australian teams. In his last Test match at Jamaica, he was presented with a bat by Brian Lara.

#2 Simon Taufel

Known for his calm and composed decision making, Simon Taufel was a fast-medium bowler for Cammeray Cricket Club but his career was cut short by a back injury. He stood in his first ODI in 1999 at Sydney when he was just 27.

He was the member of the International Panel in 2002. He has been named the best umpire of the year five times and has been a part of the finals of 2004 Champions trophy and 2011 World Cup finals. He has umpired in 74 Tests,174 ODIs and 34 T20s and has been the best across all formats. During his tenure,he was appreciated for his umpiring skills as well as the fairness he used to bring to the field. He is the youngest to have received the ICC’s Bronze Bails Award for umpiring 100 ODIs.

The match that excited him the most was the semis between India and Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup. He quit after the T20 World Cup in 2012. He assumed Umpire Performance and Training Manager role and resigned from it in 2015 October.

#3 Rudi Koertzen

Australia v Pakistan - 1st Test: Day One

Rudi was a cricket enthusiast since he was young and played league cricket for South African Railways. He started officiating in 1982. He officiated in his first ODI in Dec 1992 followed by the Tests at the end of the year. Koertzen was famous for his “slow death” i.e slowly raising the finger to declare the batsman out keeping everyone on the edge of the seat.

He has umpired over 200 ODIs and 100 Test matches which is still a record. He was a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires when it was founded. He refused to budge when asked to fix the final of Coca-Cola Cup between India and West Indies in 1999 due to which players have high regard for him. He has umpired in the finals of the Champions trophy in 2004 and 2006.

He is the only umpire to have won the Golden Bails Award (100 Tests), the Silver Bails Award (200 ODIs) and the Bronze Bails Award(100 ODIs). He retired from umpiring in July 2010 in a Test match between Pakistan and Australia.

#4 Billy Bowden

Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, it was painful for Billy Bowden to raise his finger in the conventional way which led to the “crooked finger of doom”. To signal four,he had a “crumb sweeping” wave of the arm. He attracted a lot of fans for his style. He was a part of Emirates panel of International Umpires and has officiated in 84 Tests,200 ODIs and 24 T20s.

He was the 4th umpire for the 2003 and 2007 World Cup final. In January 2007, Bowden became the youngest umpire to officiate in 100 ODIs during the New Zealand and Sri Lanka match which was bettered by Simon Taufel a few days later. He has been awarded the Bronze Bails Award for officiating over 100 ODIs.

He stood in his 200th One Day International in the game between the Kiwis and Kangaroos in Wellington. His jovial appearance on the field was an attraction to everyone and he was part of a number of funny incidents like the one at the 2006 Brisbane Ashes Test where he was knocked to the ground by a ball hit by Geraint Jones. He was included to be the part of 2015 World Cup but was demoted to New Zealand’s national panel in June 2016.