Top 10 Umpires who have officiated most tests

Top 10 Umpires who have officiated most tests: Being an umpire, especially in test matches, is one of the hardest things to do in cricket. Not only you have to stand the entire day under the blazing sun, but he also has the responsibility to concentrate on each and every ball without lapse. With technological advances in the name of DRS nowadays, an umpire’s caliber is judged based on his correct decision making tendencies. But some umpires, in this era and in an era where the field umpires used to be the ultimate decision authority as far as decisions are concerned, managed to stay at a level above everyone. And the number of test matches officiated can be one of the primary parameters to judge an umpire’s caliber. Here goes the list of Top 10 Umpires who have officiated most tests: 10. Dickie Bird: 66 matches Dickie Bird. (© Getty Images) Dickie Bird, during his umpire days, was one of the most respected umpires in the circuit. With a quirky sense of humor and with an impeccable ability to diffuse tense situations between players, he was also known for his top quality decision making. After an average career as a cricketer for Yorkshire, having played 93 matches and scored about 3314 runs, he retired pretty early at the age of 32, and started his umpiring career. And the rest is history. He was awarded MBE in 1986, and still remains one of the most respected figures off the field. Also Read – Top 10 Best umpires in world cricket- The judges of cricket 9. S Venkataraghavan: 73 matches S Venkataraghavan. (© Getty Images) While it has been a while since we have seen an Indian umpire officiating a test match, on the grounds. But it was not always the same. S Venkataraghavan was one of India’s premier spinners during the 60s, he was a part of the much-famed spin quartet of the 60s. And he continued his cricket legacy by being an on-field umpire, spanning over two decades. Though still known for his cricketing days rather than his umpiring capabilities, he was more than a decent umpire during his days; and a tally of 73 tests officiated shows his capability. He is the only Indian umpire on the list. 8. Simon Taufel: 74 matches Simon Taufel. (© Getty Images) Despite having a career which should resemble a cricketer than umpire (first test at 29 and final test at 42), Simon Taufel is widely regarded as one of the greatest umpires of his generation, and all time. Considering the fact that he won the umpire of the year award for 5 consecutive years from 2004 to 2008 in itself is a proof about his capability. He currently is an umpiring performance and training manager, with the role of molding umpires for international standards. 7. Darrel Hair: 78 matches Darrel Hair. (© Getty Images) Though generally popular with the players, Darrel Hair’s career was hampered with two of the most controversial incidents in the past two decades – ruling out Muralitharan for throwing and the umpire for the infamous forfeited test match between England and Pakistan. Though he had a pretty decent career as an umpire, he will be forever remembered for being part of the two incidents; with the latter incident was eventually judgmental in his resignation from the international cricket panel. 6. Billy Bowden: 84 matches Billy Bowden. (© Getty Images) Considering the fact that he is one of the most entertaining specimens in the cricket ground, that too being an umpire, shows his eccentricity on the field. One of the most popular umpires to have ever officiated in test matches, he was a showman with 100% entertainment value. Known for his unique mannerism in showing off boundaries, sixes and dismissals (the famous crooked finger dismissal, is because of the fact that he cannot stretch his fingers due to a form of arthritis), he is still as entertaining and accurate as he was a decade ago. Though a minor blimp in his career is his role in the infamous finish of 2007 World Cup final, the blimp is minor enough to be overshadowed by an outstanding career as an umpire. 5. David Shepherd: 92 matches David Shepherd. (© Getty Images) A fan favorite amongst players and fans all over the world, David Shepherd was known was his accurate umpiring, and bizarre superstitions on the field. Having taken up umpiring following a decent First class career consisting of 282 first class matches, David Shepherd took up umpiring in 1981. He officiated his last test match in 2005 and was presented a memento by Brian Lara for the occasion. He married his long time partner a year before his demise in 2009. 4. Daryl Harper: 95 matches Daryl Harper. (© Getty Images) One of the more prominent umpires in the 2000s, Harper was reminiscent of umpires of the past. He did his job without much of a fuss and controversy, and the fact that he was in the elite umpire panel for 9 consecutive years shows his caliber as an umpire. Despite a poor end to his umpiring career; after being dropped from ICC elite panel and a flurry of controversial decisions in the last series he officiated, he was generally considered as a one of the best of the bests as far as umpiring is concerned. 3. Aleem Dar: 98 matches Aleem Dar. (© Getty Images) Another umpire of the molds of Simon Taufel, Aleem Dar is one of the umpires who barely makes his presence a notice, both on and off the field. Aleem Dar started officiating in test matches in 2003 while he was still playing first class cricket. Interestingly, he once scored 82 in a match just a day after officiating a test in Mumbai. With him still being in the international panel, one can expect him to break the 100 mark and progress ahead in the ladder. 2. Rudi Koertzen: 108 matches Rudi Koertzen. (© Getty Images) Known for his famous “slow finer of death”, Rudi Koertzen was a blend of traditional umpires and the new age umpires during his officiating career. The only umpire making into the list from South Africa, Rudi Koertzen was a more than decent umpire, despite causing some human errors in crucial junctures. But more often than not, he was more than a decent umpire and was widely respected during his umpiring career. He retired in 2010 to spend more time with his family. 1. Steve Bucknor: 128 matches Steve Bucknor. (© Getty Images) The umpire with the most number of test matches was also the one who broke the 100 barriers for the first time, in 2005. After his rapid rise in the international arena in the early 90s, Steve Bucknor was one of those umpires who were rarely wrong. His characteristic nod before showing the dismissal is one of his differentiating traits. But his powers were waning in his later stages of his career and was heavily criticized for his role in the infamous test between Australia and India in 2008. He retired from international umpiring in the year 2009, with just over 2 decades of service as an international umpire. Also Read – Top 5 Most controversial cricket umpires ever (All Stats Updated Till 30th September, 2015)

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Top 10 Umpires who have officiated most tests

9. S Venkataraghavan: 73 matches

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