Top 5 cricketers turned umpires 

Usually, former cricketers go into broadcasting, journalism, coaching or administrative roles with their own cricket boards once their days as a professional cricketer are over.

Very few, however, go into umpiring and perhaps it is due to the fact that professionals do not want to go back into another high-pressure job again.

That being said, a handful of former cricketers have gone into this job and carved a niche for themselves in the game, following the closure of their careers.

Here is a look at 5 of those cricketers, who were excellent players for their country or state teams and also went on to become excellent umpires.

#5 Ian Gould

The genial Englishman, who has become one of the world's best umpires over the course of the last decade or so, was also a well-known cricketer in English country cricket. Ian Gould was a wicketkeeper, who played for Sussex, Middlesex and Auckland in a career that spanned around 19 years from 1975 to 1996.

His excellent show in County Cricket eventually earned him a call-up to the England national team and he played 18 one day internationals for the national team in the first half of 1983. He took 15 catches and affected 3 stumpings, but he did not get going with the bat (average 12.91).

However, as an umpire, he is, without a doubt a top class professional since 2006 and till date, he has officiated in 64 Test matches, 123 one day internationals and 37 T20 Internationals.

He is still only 60 years old and still at the top of his game, which is why cricket fans can expect that Gould would be a part of the ICC Elite Panel of umpires for plenty of seasons to come.

#4 Paul Reiffel

The former Australian medium-pacer was a fixture in the side in the 1990s and in a career that lasted around 7 years from 1992 to 1999, Paul Reiffel played in 35 Test matches and 92 ODIs for his country. Reifell was not particularly quick but he was extremely accurate and had the ability to move the ball off the seam.

That made him a challenging prospect for many batsmen. In 2009, he became an international umpire when he officiated in an ODI between Australia and New Zealand and three years later, he became a Test match umpire.

He has thus far stood in 35 ODIs, 54 Test matches and 16 T20 internationals, during the course of which, he has displayed the same discipline and dedication to the profession that was his forte in his career as a medium-pace bowler.

#3 Peter Willey

The former English off-spinner and middle-order batsman is perhaps better known for his career as an umpire that lasted from 1996 to 2003, but Peter Willey was an excellent cricketer for England as well.

He played in 26 Test matches and an identical number of ODIs for his country from 1976 to 1986 and although his exploits might not be readily recalled by all, he remained one of the unsung heroes of the side.

His steady off-spin bowling and gritty, determined batting made him an ideal player to have on the side against the marauding pace attack of the West Indies. In fact, he appeared in 15 of his Tests against the West Indies and the rest against the Australians. Despite not being naturally gifted, Willey made the most of his talents.

He stood as an umpire in 25 Test matches and 34 ODIs, during the course of which, he made a name for himself as one of the most dependable umpires in the world.

#2 Kumar Dharmasena

He was one of the most important members of the Sri Lankan spin bowling arsenal from 1993 to 2004 and Kumar Dharmasena remains one of the nation's iconic, having played a role in the country's historic World Cup triumph in 1996.

He was a steady off-spin bowler, a handy lower order batsman and contributed heavily towards the team's success in 31 Test matches and 141 ODIs. Following his retirement, the former tweaker took to umpiring and first officiated in an ODI between India and Sri Lanka back in 2009.

The following year he became a Test match umpire and since then, he has been a fixture in Test matches all over the world. Currently, he is one of the best umpires in the world and has won awards for his excellence as an umpire.

He has stood in 51 Test matches, 84 ODIs and 22 T20 internationals so far. He will all set to officiate in many more games in the years to come since he is still only 46 years old.

#1 Srinivas Venkataraghavan

The former Indian off-spin great and captain Srinivas Venkataraghavan represented the country in 57 Tests and 15 ODIs in a career spanning 18 years from 1965 to 1983. He was part of the famed Indian spin quartet and perhaps it was due to India's spin bowling riches that he did not get to play as many games as he would have liked.

A decade after his retirement, Venkat became an international umpire and over the next nine years or so, he went on to become one of the world's finest umpires.

He was best known for his consistency, a keen eye and above all, the ability to keep a firm grip on the game. In total, he stood in 73 Test matches and 52 ODIs, over the course of his career and is still regarded as one of the finest umpires in modern cricket history.