The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Bucknor, Dar got death threats, say reports

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Monday, Jan 31, 2005

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Bucknor, Dar got death threats, say reports

By P. Subramanyam

LONDON, JAN. 30. Umpire Steve Bucknor claims that he and his fellow official Aleem Dar received death threats in the Centurion Test between South Africa and England.

He said that a threat to kill both the officials was made in a phone call to the chief executive's office at the ground.

"I was told that the threat came towards the end of the last day," said Bucknor as it was reported in The Sunday Telegraph this morning and as quoted by BBC Sport. The caller said: "We are going to get rid of Aleem Dar and Steve Bucknor... we are going to shoot them."

Bucknor, aged 58, a Jamaican who stood in a record of 99 Tests, added: "You get lots of abuse as an umpire, but that is the first time that I have been threatened to that extent... meaning to be shot at."

Since the last Test, Dar has returned home, but Bucknor has stayed on in Johannesburg to officiate in the forthcoming one-day series.

Bucknor went on to add: "I briefly thought about cutting short my stay and going home to the Caribbean, but I convinced myself that I am stronger than that. If umpires react to threats like that, then there will be a flood of them.

"I have to say that I am not really worried about it — the words were serious though, but I am not sure whether the person who said them was serious — I am certain it was just a hoax call."

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