Here are 3 umpires who quit international cricket in recent times

Umpire Aleem Dar. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Umpires play an essential role in ensuring the fair conduct of matches. They also determine the course of the game by making real-time on-field decisions which are expected to be impeccable, in order to avoid all sorts of discrepancies.

After 178 years of international cricket, the achievements of umpires are yet to be acknowledged and are often overlooked when compared to other participants of the game. However, among them are a few who become regulars and earn cult status among their fans. Umpires like Simon Taufel and Billy Bowden, for example, were liked and revered by fans and players alike. Among names who earned appreciation for international umpiring are David Shepherd, Ian Gould, Rudi Koertzen, Billy Doctrove and Marais Erasmus. Throughout their phenomenal careers, these names supervised a great number of matches successfully and have continued to be remembered by fans for their skills.

With the kind of immaculate umpiring that umpires of such stature do, their retirement often ends up creating a void in the world of cricket. Today, we will look at 3 such international umpires who recently retired from international cricket, leaving behind years of legacy and perfection.

Here are three umpires who retired from international cricket recently:

3. Nigel Llong

Umpire Nigel Llong. (Photo by Ryan Pierse – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images)

After bidding adieu to his career as a player, former England cricketer Nigel Llong started his new innings in the sport as an umpire. He kicked off his umpiring career in a T20 international match between England and Australia in Southampton, in 2005. After making his mark as an umpire early in his career, Llong got a chance to make his debut in the One-Day format as well. He officiated in an ODI for the first time in 2006, during the series between England and Sri Lanka.

Following his record in white-ball cricket, ICC selected him to stand in the longest format of the sport as well. In 2008, he made his Test debut in a match between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Dunedin.

In 2020, he quit his umpiring career after conducting 224 international matches. His last appearance in the sport was in an ODI match between South Africa and Australia held in Paarl on February 29, 2020. Nigel Llong was a part of the umpiring panels that conducted the ODI World Cups in 2015 and 2019. After retiring as a cricketer, the England veteran continued to serve the sport for 15 years as an umpire.

2.  Bruce Oxenford

Bruce Oxenford is a renowned figure in international cricket who had an impressive career. He began his international career as an umpire in a T20I match between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane, in January 2006. Since then, he had officiated 62 Tests, 97 ODIs and 179 T20Is across 15 years of his illustrious career.

Following his decent run in the shortest form of the game for three years, ICC gave him a chance to make his ODI debut in a 2007-08 Commonwealth Bank Series match. The fifth match of the competition between India and Sri Lanka at Canberra marked the first time Oxenford stood to officiate a 50-over match.

The former Aussie cricketer was included in the umpires’ panel for the 2010 Sri Lanka versus West Indies Test series. During the third Test between both sides, he made his first appearance as an umpire in Test cricket. In 2021, he called time on his international career with the record of officiating 179 international contests.

1. Aleem Dar

Umpire Aleem Dar. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Aleem Dar, who conducted more than 400 international games, left the field in March 2023 after amassing more than 23 years of experience. The former Pakistan cricketer made his international debut as an umpire in February 2000 during an ODI game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Gujranwala.

In 2003, he stood in his first match in the Test format during a contest between Bangladesh and England in Dhaka. From his debut to retirement, he supervised 144 Tests, 222 ODIs and 69 T20Is. During his vast career, he featured in several ICC tournaments as well. He stood as a field umpire in the 2010 ICC T20 World Cup final between rivals Australia and England.

On November 1, 2020, he surpassed Rudi Koertzen’s record of officiating the most ODIs as an umpire. He made his 210th ODI appearance in a match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe, thus surpassing Koertzen’s tally. Overall, he also holds the record for officiating the most international matches (435) as an umpire.

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