Sports
Bucknor set to officiate in 5th successive WC final
Bridgetown | April 27, 2007 12:17:19 PM IST
Jamaican umpire Steve Bucknor is all set to take his ICC World Cup final appearance record further, when he comes out to officiate in the decider between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday. The 60-year-old umpire will be making an unprecedented fifth successive appearance in a cricket World Cup final, having stood in the last match of the 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 tournaments. The other on-field official will be Aleem Dar from Pakistan, the third umpire will be Rudi Koertzen of South Africa, the fourth umpire is New Zealander Brent Bowden and the match referee will be former New Zealand captain Jeff Crowe. The only officials who come close to Bucknor's feat are Harold "Dickie" Bird (1975, 1979 and 1983) and David Shepherd (1996, 1999 and 2003), who both stood in three finals. Reflecting on his appointment, Bucknor said in an ICC statement that it was a "dream come true". "I was happy knowing I was umpiring in a Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean and now being asked to stand in the final again makes it even more special. "Just because the final is taking place here (in the Caribbean) does not mean it is any extra pressure for me than, say, my third or fourth finals, for example. Each game has its pressures and you have to deal with that," said Buckner, who is also a qualified football referee. While Bucknor is a veteran when it comes to World Cup finals, it will be a new experience for Aleem Dar, who echoed his colleague's excitement at the prospect of being involved on Saturday when he said: "It is a dream come true for me too". "I have always worked well together with Steve, he is a great umpire and we have a good understanding, and so that should be a great help to me on Saturday," Dar said. Most on-field umpiring appearances in an ICC Cricket World Cup final:Steve Bucknor-- 4 (1992, 1996, 1999, 2003) David Shepherd-- 3 (1996, 1999, 2003) Harold Bird-- 3 (1975, 1979, 1983) Barrie Meyer-- 2 (1979, 1983) Brian Aldridge-- 1 (1992) RB Gupta-- 1 (1987) Mahboob Shah-- 1 (1987) Tom Spencer-- 1 (1975). (ANI)
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