Five Most Loved Umpires In Cricket History

It is fair to say that Umpiring is a thankless and bloody difficult job, especially in this day and age of technology and social media.

That said, over the years, a lot of umpires via their astute decision-making, friendly demeanor and in some cases, hilarious theatrics, have proceeded to won over fans as well as cricketers.

On that note, here’s a look at the Five Most Loved Umpires In Cricket History:

Aleem Dar

One of the most respected umpires of the current era, Aleem Dar has won many a fan around the world due to his astute decision-making skills and the ability to remain calm in tough situations, and not to forget, his friendly demeanor.

Dar, who made his debut at the turn of the century, has won the ‘Umpire of the Year’ award on three consecutive occasions between 2009-11.

Aleem Dar, who turns 53 today, has been an umpire in a record 500 internationals ? pic.twitter.com/4t4pqI7Dn9

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 6, 2021

The Pakistan-born umpire, who is celebrating his 53rd birthday today, holds the record for officiating in the most number of Tests, ODIs, and T20Is

Overall, Aleem Dar has officiated in a record 500 international matches (400 on-field + 100 as TV umpire) with the next best being Rudi Koertzen (397).

Simon Taufel

The only umpire in the history of the game to win five consecutive ICC ‘Umpire of the Year’ Award (2004-2008), Simon Taufel will go down in history as one of the greatest on-field officials.

A brilliant decision-maker, Taufel possessed an eagle’s eye on the field, and he was generally considered as a great peace-keeper on the ground amid intense situations.

Even when the DRS came into existence in 2008, Taufell’s consistency in giving the right decisions remained intact.

The Australian-born umpire, who made his debut in 2000, officiated in as many as 74 Tests, 174 ODIs, and 34 T20Is before calling time on his career in 2012.

Dickie Bird

Harold Dennis ‘Dickie’ Bird may have not officiated in an international game for over two decades now, but his mass appeal remains unparalleled.

One of the game’s great characters, Dickie Bird was incredibly popular among players and fans for his friendly demeanor, astute decision-making, and his many eccentricities.

Bird, a former County cricketer, whose playing career was plagued with a knee injury, officiated in 66 Test matches (a world record at the time) and 69 ODIs including three World Cup finals.

The legendary umpire was given a guard of honor in his final international outing in 1996, a reflection of the amount of love and respect he commanded.

Billy Bowden

One of the most colorful and entertaining umpires in the history of the game, Billy Bowden’s on-field shenanigans won the heart of a lot of fans.

Whether it was his crooked finger that he often raised while giving a decision, or his mannerism while signaling a boundary or while referring a decision to the 3rd umpire, Bowden was total box office.

Even the players loved his mannerism, something that was vindicated to the hilt when Suresh Raina emulated his crooked finger gesture during an ODI against Pakistan in 2012.

Bowden, who was named in ICC’s first-ever elite panel of umpires in 2001, officiated in as many as 84 Tests, 200 ODIs, and 21 T20Is before walking into the sunset.

David Shepherd

Hands down, the most respected and popular umpire that this beautiful game has ever seen, it’s got to be the late great David Shepherd.

A brilliant cricketer in his pomp, David Shepherd called time on his playing career in 1979 to shift focus on umpiring.

He made his debut during a 1983 World Cup game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka to kickstart a period of 20 years where he captured the imagination of the cricketing folklore with his brilliant decision-making skills, his many eccentricities- none better than him standing on one leg whenever a team’s score reached the multiples of Nelson (111, 222, etc) and his friendly demeanor.

Shepherd officiated in a total of 92 Tests and 172 ODIs which also included three consecutive World Cup finals- 1996, 1999, 2003. The champion umpire passed away in 2009 due to cancer.

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