Former Test match umpire and Gloucestershire cricketer David Shepherd has died from cancer at the age of 68, the Englishman’s former county announced on October 28.
Shepherd, widely regarded as one of the best umpires of his generation, stood in 92 Tests and 172 one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals, between 1983 and 2005.
He was perhaps best known to cricket fans around the world for his superstitious habit of standing on one leg when the score reached ”Nelson”, England’s supposedly ”unlucky” number of 111 or multiples such as 222.
”I feel very saddened this has happened,” umpiring great Dickie Bird, who stood in many matches alongside his compatriot, told Sky Sports.
”He was a fine umpire, we spent many happy hours together. He was a great man and a tremendous man to umpire with. He was a good bloke, he’ll be sadly missed and he was a great friend.” Bird’s comments were echoed by David Collier, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
”Shep was not only one the greatest umpires of all time but he was also a friend to all involved in cricket,” Collier said in a statement.
”His cheery personality created a wonderful atmosphere at every match in which he was involved and he will be sadly missed by everyone involved in cricket throughout the world.”
Shepherd, who scored a century on his county debut, spent 14 seasons with Gloucestershire and the county’s chairperson, John Light, said: ”As an umpire he has always been a familiar and much-loved face, not only here but at cricket grounds around the world.
”He was friendly, outgoing and straightforward. He believed cricket was a simple game and he took a straightforward approach to it in his cricket and his umpiring. He always put a smile on your face.”
Light added: ”He was tremendously superstitious. When the score was 111, 222 or 333, David would be hopping about on one leg and everybody in the dressing room had to do the same. We all do it in the committee room. When we do it, we say ‘Shep would have us dancing’. We do it, and we’ll go on doing it.”
After only two seasons as a first-class umpire Shepherd was promoted to international duty. His last Test as an umpire was at Kingston, Jamaica, between the West Indies and Pakistan in 2005.
But early into his retirement he was struck with cancer.
Only West Indies’ Steve Bucknor (128) and South Africa’s Rudi Koertzen (101) have umpired more Tests than Shepherd. — Sapa-AFP