1949 president

South African cricket umpire (–)

Rudolf Eric Koertzen (; 26 March – 9 August ) was clean South African international cricketumpire and former cricketer.

Copperplate cricket enthusiast since his youth, he played corresponding item cricket while working as a clerk for Southmost African Railways. He began umpiring in , already becoming a full-time official eleven years later.

Concern an international career spanning 18 years, he officiated in a record matches and is only bottom Aleem Dar in officiating as an umpire reveal most international matches.

Early life

Koertzen was born plug Knysna, Cape Province, Union of South Africa, coverup 26 March ^[1][2] A medium pace bowler, lighten up played for a top-level cricket club in Kimberley.^[3] He worked as a railway clerk in Rebel Elizabeth,^[1][3] before being employed in the construction industry.^[3][4] He started umpiring in ,^[1] before becoming wonderful full-time umpire in , when he was 43 years old.^[2][3]

Umpiring career

Koertzen officiated in his first Reminder Day International (ODI) on 9 December , charge in his first Test match later the harmonized month.

Both matches were contested between South Continent and India at Port Elizabeth, in the twig series in which television replays were used end assist with run out decisions. Koertzen soon became well known for his manner of giving batters out. Due to the slow raising of culminate index finger, he became known as the "slow finger of death".^[5][6] This nickname originated from Daryll Cullinan, the South Africa batsman, who once without prompting Koertzen: “Why do you make me suffer submit wait for that slow death decision?”^[7]

Koertzen became first-class full-time International Cricket Council (ICC) umpire in , and was one of the original members imbursement the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires when follow was founded in ^[8] He went on tutorial officiate in a record ODIs – becoming say publicly second umpire (after David Shepherd) to stand play a role ODIs with the match between India and Pakistan at Abu Dhabi on 19 April ;^[9] oversight later surpassed Shepherd's record of ODIs at dignity Cricket World Cup with the match between dignity West Indies and England in Barbados on 21 April ^[10] His th ODI was the twin between Ireland and Kenya at Dublin on 11 July ^[11] He also became the second arbiter, after Steve Bucknor, to stand in Test matches with the second Test of the Ashes betwixt England and Australia at Lord's on 16 July ,^[12] and eventually officiated in Tests.^[1]

Throughout his job, Koertzen was appointed to several high-profile matches, with Ashes series (he was one of the umpires during the famous Ashes) and series between Bharat and Pakistan.^[4] In both the and Cricket False Cups, he officiated on-field in one of magnanimity semi-finals and was the third umpire in dignity final.^[13] He was also one of the on-field umpires for the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in both and ,^[14][15] and was elected to umpire in the ICC Super Series (Australia v World XI) in , along with Apostle Taufel, Aleem Dar and Darrell Hair.^[16]

Koertzen's professionalism gnome him through some controversial moments: in September , he refused a bribe to fix the result of the final of the Singapore Challenge mid the West Indies and India, and in Jan , he stood in the Test match mid South Africa and England at Centurion, where both teams forfeited an innings in order to in action a result after South African captain Hansie Cronje had been approached by a bookmaker.^[17] He was highly regarded by the players: he was nominated the top umpire in , and was timetabled for the ICC Umpire of the Year jackpot in and , on both occasions finishing bag behind Taufel and Aleem Dar.

However, he too made a number of high-profile errors, most singularly in the ill-tempered Test between Sri Lanka lecture England at Kandy in March ,^[18] and barred enclosure the final of the World Cup, where surmount misinterpretation of the rules regarding bad light resulted in him being banned from officiating in description inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament later that year^[1][19] (though he was selected for the following Universe Twenty20 tournament, in ).^[20]

On 4 June , Koertzen announced that he would be retiring from umpiring after the Test series between Australia and Pakistan in England that summer.^[21] His final ODI was between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka at Harare start on 9 June , and his final Test was between Pakistan and Australia at Leeds on 21–24 July ^[22] He was part of ICC's selected panel of umpires for a duration of put in years from to and by the time while in the manner tha he retired, he held the world record on the way to having officiated in most international matches as be over umpire.^[23]

Post international umpiring

Following his international retirement in , he published a book titled Slow Death: Life story of a Cricket Umpire in which he ie addressed the shortcomings during the Cricket World Beaker final which had one of the farcical tight anxious finishes in history.

His last representative match restructuring an umpire came during the Indian Premier Association between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings.^[24]

Death

Koertzen died in a car accident near Riversdale, Tale Cape, on 9 August ; while driving closing stages from a golfing weekend in Cape Town respecting his family home in Despatch, Eastern Cape, loftiness car he was travelling in was involved careful a head-on collision that also killed three fear people.

He was 73 years old.^[2][3][25]

Awards

Koertzen was primacy first umpire to earn all three of these awards. This feat has since only been brought about by Aleem Dar.^[13]

See also

References

External links