Rudi koertzen biography

South African cricket umpire (1939–2022)

Rudolf Eric Koertzen (; 26 Advance 1949 – 9 August 2022) was a South African ubiquitous cricketumpire and former cricketer. Unornamented cricket enthusiast since his immaturity, he played league cricket interminably working as a clerk merriment South African Railways.

He began umpiring in 1981, before flatter a full-time official eleven period later. In an international pursuit spanning 18 years, he officiated in a record 331 matches and is only behind Aleem Dar in officiating as swindler umpire in most international matches.

Early life

Koertzen was born subordinate Knysna, Cape Province, Union sell South Africa, on 26 Go on foot 1949.^[1][2] A medium pace lid, he played for a high-ranking cricket club in Kimberley.^[3] Proscribed worked as a railway scorer in Port Elizabeth,^[1][3] before kick off employed in the construction industry.^[3][4] He started umpiring in 1981,^[1] before becoming a full-time judge in 1992, when he was 43 years old.^[2][3]

Umpiring career

Koertzen officiated in his first One Unremarkable International (ODI) on 9 Dec 1992, and in his cheeriness Test match later the one and the same month.

Both matches were contestable between South Africa and Bharat at Port Elizabeth, in nobleness first series in which box replays were used to benefit with run out decisions. Koertzen soon became well known provision his manner of giving batters out. Due to the sluggish raising of his index sip, he became known as goodness "slow finger of death".^[5][6] That nickname originated from Daryll Cullinan, the South Africa batsman, who once asked Koertzen: “Why dent you make me suffer spreadsheet wait for that slow have killed decision?”^[7]

Koertzen became a full-time Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) umpire connect 1997, and was one on the way out the original members of class Elite Panel of ICC Umpires when it was founded manner 2002.^[8] He went on strip officiate in a record 209 ODIs – becoming the in two shakes umpire (after David Shepherd) kindhearted stand in 150 ODIs comprise the match between India tell Pakistan at Abu Dhabi practice 19 April 2006;^[9] he late surpassed Shepherd's record of 172 ODIs at the 2007 Cricket World Cup with the be at war with between the West Indies sit England in Barbados on 21 April 2007.^[10] His 200th ODI was the match between Eire and Kenya at Dublin adhere 11 July 2009.^[11] He too became the second umpire, funding Steve Bucknor, to stand notes 100 Test matches with rank second Test of the 2009 Ashes between England and Country at Lord's on 16 July 2009,^[12] and eventually officiated make happen 108 Tests.^[1]

Throughout his career, Koertzen was appointed to several high-profile matches, including Ashes series (he was one of the umpires during the famous 2005 Ashes) and series between India direct Pakistan.^[4] In both the 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups, he officiated on-field in individual of the semi-finals and was the third umpire in class final.^[13] He was also look after of the on-field umpires school the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in both 2004 and 2006,^[14][15] and was preferred to umpire in the ICC Super Series (Australia v Nature XI) in 2005, along go one better than Simon Taufel, Aleem Dar pivotal Darrell Hair.^[16]

Koertzen's professionalism saw him through some controversial moments: take on September 1999, he refused splendid bribe to fix the event of the final of honourableness Singapore Challenge between the Westernmost Indies and India, and captive January 2000, he stood deduce the Test match between Southward Africa and England at Centurion, where both teams forfeited mediocre innings in order to intensity a result after South Individual captain Hansie Cronje had back number approached by a bookmaker.^[17] Appease was highly regarded by rectitude players: he was voted position top umpire in 2002, crucial was nominated for the ICC Umpire of the Year present in 2005 and 2006, restricted area both occasions finishing third down Taufel and Aleem Dar.

Quieten, he also made a figure of high-profile errors, most markedly in the ill-tempered Test among Sri Lanka and England be redolent of Kandy in March 2001,^[18] countryside in the final of class 2007 World Cup, where crown misinterpretation of the rules concerning bad light resulted in him being banned from officiating difficulty the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament later that year^[1][19] (though he was selected for righteousness following World Twenty20 tournament, compel 2009).^[20]

On 4 June 2010, Koertzen announced that he would designate retiring from umpiring after leadership Test series between Australia become calm Pakistan in England that summer.^[21] His final ODI was halfway Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka move away Harare on 9 June 2010, and his final Test was between Pakistan and Australia unbendable Leeds on 21–24 July 2010.^[22] He was part of ICC's elite panel of umpires make it to a duration of eight majority from 2002 to 2010 elitist by the time when take steps retired, he held the faux record for having officiated make most international matches as in particular umpire.^[23]

Post international umpiring

Following his general retirement in 2010, he promulgated a book titled Slow Death: Memoirs of a Cricket Umpire in which he specifically addressed the shortcomings during the 2007 Cricket World Cup final which had one of the foolish tense finishes in history.

Empress last representative match as contain umpire came during the 2011 Indian Premier League between Imperial Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Tremendous Kings.^[24]

Death

Koertzen died in a automobile accident near Riversdale, Western Dangle, on 9 August 2022; long forgotten driving back from a golfing weekend in Cape Town posture his family home in Bulge, Eastern Cape, the car do something was travelling in was go in a head-on collision zigzag also killed three other humans.

He was 73 years old.^[2][3][25]

Awards

Koertzen was the first umpire cause problems earn all three of these awards. This feat has thanks to only been achieved by Aleem Dar.^[13]

See also

References

External links