|
|
Former Test umpire David Shepherd passed away after a long battle with cancer on Wednesday. He was 68 years old. Shepherd, an international umpire, officiated in 172 ODIs, three consecutive World Cup finals and 92 Test matches from 1983 to 2005. He made his international debut in the 1983 World Cup.
Only Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen have stood in more Tests than Shepherd. Shepherd was a first-class cricketer and during his 14-year-long career played 282 first class matches for Gloucestershire.
He started his umpiring career in 1981 from first-class matches. His last appeared in a Test match in June 2005 between the West Indies and Pakistan in Kingston and his final appearance was in an ODI at The Oval in 2005.
International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan expressed grief over the death of one of the greatest umpires of all time.
Morgan said, “David was a true gentleman of the game. He was a fine player and a match official of the very highest quality. He will be remembered fondly by players, spectators and administrators who saw him as a great entertainer but also as one of the best umpires the game has ever seen.”
