Rudi Koertzen Passes Away: Many Shades of Iconic Cricket Umpire | IN PICS
Fellow umpires and former players paid tribute on Tuesday to former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, who died in a car accident on Tuesday morning.
Fellow umpires and former players paid tribute on Tuesday to former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, who died in a car accident on Tuesday morning.
Koertzen, 73, was known as ‘Slow Death’ because of the time it took for him to raise a finger to indicate a batsman’s dismissal.
He stood in a then-record 331 international matches, including 108 Tests, between 1992 and his retirement in 2010.
Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar, who has since surpassed Koertzen’s record, described Koertzen’s death as “a very big loss”.
I stood in so many games with him, said Dar. He was not only very good as an umpire but also an excellent colleague, always very cooperative on field and also always willing to help off the field. Because of the way he was, he was also well-respected by players.
Fellow South African Marais Erasmus described Koertzen as a strong character, physically and mentally.
Erasmus, crowned three times as the International Council’s umpire of the year, said of Koertzen, “He paved the way for South African umpires to get to the world stage and made us all believe it's possible. A true legend. As a young umpire, I learnt a lot from him.”
Former Sri Lanka star and former president of MCC, Kumar Sangakkara, described Koertzen in a tweet as “a wonderful friend and umpire. Honest, forthright and loved the game.”
Australia's Captain Ricky Ponting (L) walks away after Umpire Rudi Koertzen (C) delivers the verdict from the fourth umpire that Australia's Nathan Hauritz (R) attempted catch was unsucessful during the third day of the second Ashes Test match at Lord's cricket ground in London, on July 18, 2009. AFP PHOTO/IAN KINGTON (Photo by IAN KINGTON / AFP)
Koertzen’s sense of theatre was on display in the final Test of the 2005 Ashes Test series between England and Australia.
He walked slowly to the wicket before tipping off the bails to show that play had been abandoned, confirming the match had ended in a draw, which sealed a series win for England.
He was the television umpire in the 2003 and 2007 Cricket Cup finals but the umpiring team for the latter match, between Australia and Sri Lanka in Barbados, were censured for their interpretation of the regulations regarding bad light in a chaotic finish to the game.
