Steve Bucknor is considered one of the most experienced umpires in the history of cricket but Indian cricket fans have a slightly different take on him due to his history of errors.
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In cricket, whenever a batsman or bowler plays 100 Tests or ODIs, his accomplishments are celebrated. However, there is no such celebration for umpires. There have been many great umpires who have redefined their game with their officiating. There was Aleem Dar from Pakistan who became very popular. The English umpires and their eccentricities are etched in cricketing folklore. Dickie Bird was a forthright umpire who was an authoritarian on the field. David Shepherd would tie a matchstick to a finger on Friday 13th so that he would be touching wood to bring good luck all day. He was also famous was his tendency to shake his hand while signaling fours.
But, there was one individual who set the original benchmark. He was the first umpire to officiate in 100 Tests and 100 ODIs. In his 20-year career from 1989 to 2009, this umpire from the West Indies officiated in 128 Tests and 181 ODIs. He was part of five World Cup finals in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007. His accuracy, as stated by the ICC, was 96 percent towards his end days. It was still higher than the average of 94.8 set out by the ICC.
Steve Bucknor, who turns 75 today, was an umpire who initially did not have any relationship with cricket. He played as a goalkeeper in the Jamaican parish leagues in the 1960s. In 1964, he scored a goal for Jamaica in a schoolboy international versus Brazil, which Jamaica drew 1-1. At the age of 42, Bucknor was a FIFA referee in a CONCACAF and World Cup qualifier between El Salvador and the Netherlands Antilles in 1988.
In 1989, during the ODI series between West Indies and India, Steve Bucknor officially made his debut as an umpire in Antigua. He umpired for a couple of games. Yet, he seemed to have impressed the higher officials as he was selected as one of the umpires for the 1992 World Cup. The fact that he was from the West Indies and Black broke the race monopoly in cricket at that time when it came to umpiring. Most of the umpires were from Australia, England and some were from India and Pakistan. But, Steve Bucknor stepping in changed the equation.
He was one of the umpires in the 1992 World Cup final between England and Pakistan in Melbourne. From there on, life was really good to Bucknor. But, for one country, he would be considered the ultimate villain. So much so that he would become one of the main reasons why the India vs Australia series in 2008 would result in a diplomatic crisis.
Bucknor’s relationship with India and the cricket fans started getting some turbulence from 2003. In the final between India and Australia, he failed to give Ricky Ponting out LBW when he had missed the sweep. Ponting would go on to make 140 and Australia would win their third World Cup title. In the same year, during the Brisbane Test, Bucknor gave Sachin Tendulkar out LBW for 0 as the batsman did not offer a shot. The decision shocked a lot of commentators and fans.
But, things really hit rock-bottom in the Sydney Test of 2008. The umpiring in that match bordered on ‘atrocious’ with both Bucknor and umpire Mark Benson making big mistakes. Bucknor reprieved Andrew Symonds three times. He did not hear a big outside edge off the bowling of Ishant Sharma. Bucknor trusted his naked eye and did not give Symonds out stumped.
When it came to the Indian batsmen, the decisions were also poor. Bucknor gave Rahul Dravid out caught when he had not edged Symonds. Benson, on the other hand, gave Sourav Ganguly out controversially and also failed to give Ponting out caught behind off Ganguly when he was bowling.
In addition, there was a massive racial issue between Harbhajan Singh and Symonds, with the Australian allegedly being called ‘Monkey’. The ‘monkeygate’ scandal threatened the whole tour. India was on the cusp of pulling out. Diplomatic relations between India and Australia were harmed. After immense backlash and criticism, the ICC decided that Bucknor would not stand in the Perth Test.
The amount of hate and criticism directed at Bucknor bordered on ‘vitriolic’. Bucknor was never the same again and he retired from umpiring in 2009. Afterwards, in a chat with Mid-Day, he revealed that he had made some mistakes.
“I made two mistakes in the Sydney Test in 2008. Mistake one, which happened when India were doing well, allowed an Australian batsman to get a hundred. Mistake two, on day five, might have cost India the game. But still, they are two mistakes over five days. Was I the first umpire to make two mistakes in a Test? Still, those two mistakes seem to have haunted me,” Bucknor admitted.
Bucknor has had several highs in his career. But, the relationship with Indian fans might never be repaired. That is a sad way to remember an umpire who was largely competent and was good in his job.
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