The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Bucknor on verge of 100 Test appearances

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

Bucknor on verge of 100 Test appearances

By P. Subramanyam

LONDON, FEB. 22. Steve Bucknor will become the first umpire in cricketing history to stand in 100 Tests when he officiates in the second Test between India and Pakistan. Bucknor and Darrell Hair will officiate in the Kolkata Test starting on March 16, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced here today.

Bucknor made his debut in the fourth Test between West Indies and India in Kingston, Jamaica in April 1989 and since then has distinguished himself as a fine umpire.

Bucknor, aged 58, has also umpired 131 One-Day Internationals and stood in four consecutive World Cups, taking charge of the final on each occasion.

Bucknor will become the first recipient of the ICC's Golden Bails Award, part of the Umpire Recognition programme. The programme also includes the Bronze Bails Award (for 100 one-day appearances) and Silver Bails Award (for 200 one-dayers).

Hair and Rudi Koertzen will stand in the first Test, Simon Taufel and Billy Bowden will be the umpires for the third and final Test, and Chris Broad would be the match referee for the series.

Bowden will be the umpire in the first three ODIs and Koertzen in the final three.

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