Simon Taufel Gets Candid On His Favorite International Batsman And Bowler
Published - 02 Feb 2020, 12:00 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:03 AM
Former notable ICC umpire Simon Taufel is well-known for his sharp calls and a charismatic personality. The recipient of five consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year award, Taufel was well respected among cricketers. The Australian stood behind the wickets on numerous marquee events.
During a rapid fire round with ESPN, Taufel was quizzed about his favorite batsman and bowler. To everyone’s surprise, the 48-year-old said that he didn’t have any such name up on his mind. The anchor asked, “Name are your current favorite international batsman and bowler?”
Simon Taufel plays the googly with a straight bat
The fans had clearly expected certain names with the likes of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and many others dominating the modern day game. Taufel’s answer reflects on his balanced approach towards the game of cricket, where often certain talents have threatened to pose as bigger than the game. “I’ve no favorite batsman and no favorite bowlers,” said Simon.
Moving on, he was also asked to name the most disciplined cricketer that he had come across during his playing career. The former official didn’t hesitate and revealed the names of Rahul Dravid and Mark Waugh. For India, Dravid has been one of the most successful cricketer while Mark represented Australia with great passion.
On being asked to name his toughest game as an umpire, Taufel interestingly opted for India v Pakistan 2011 World Cup game. It was indeed a match that was spoken about for many years. MS Dhoni’s India beat the neighboring nation by 29 runs and went on to lift the cup by beating Sri Lanka in the finals. In that particular game, maestro Sachin Tendulkar was reprieved on quite a few occasions before being finally out for 85. Taufel has officiated in 74 Tests, 174 ODIs and 34 T20Is. He brought the curtains down on his successful career in the year 2012. Taufel has now turned into a writer and launched his book which goes by the name of ‘Finding the Gaps”.
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