Umpiring is the foundation on which the cricketers rely on getting fair and trustworthy decisions throughout the match. The umpires are indispensably required to conduct a game following ICC guidelines with utmost sincerity by the players. Without umpires, International cricket will be no different from gully cricket. In cricketing history, thousands of umpires have stood in front of the pitch to judge the play according to the latest norms and laws laid by the MCC. Still, only a handful of them has been impeccable with their decision-making in the heavily pressurised environment.
Top 7 Umpires according to Cricreads:
Simon Taufel
Perhaps the best umpire the cricketing world has ever witnessed. He seldom miscalculated while announcing his decisions. The former Australian umpire was a member of ICC’s Elite Umpiring Panel from 2003 to 2012. He won umpire of the year consecutively for five years between 2004-2008 for his remarkably accurate decisions. Taufel umpired in 74 Tests, 174 ODIs and 34 T20is before announcing his retirement in September 2012.
Billy Bowden
Billy Bowden showing a red card to Mcgrath in 2005.The cricket umpire from New Zealand is renowned for his dramatic and quirky ways of signalling umpiring decisions. He suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, which causes him a lot of pain to straighten up his finger. However, Bowden used it as a blessing in disguise in his umpiring career to invent the famous crooked finger of doom out signal. He was a member of the ICC Elite Umpiring Panel from 2003 to 2015. He has umpired in 84 Tests, 200 ODIs and 24 T20is.
Aleem Dar
The umpiring sensation from Pakistan holds the distinction of umpiring in most international cricket matches ever. He has mediated in 408 international games so far, including 137 Tests, 211 ODIs and 64 T20is. Currently, he is a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. He ended Taufel’s reign of winning the Umpire of the Year award in 2009. He won the trophy thrice in a row from 2009 to 2012. He achieved a rare feat in ICC World Cup 2011 when all DRS calls against his decisions were struck down.
Marais Erasmus
Occupying 4th position in the coveted Top 7 Umpires list is the umpire from South Africa, Marais Erasmus. He reclaimed David Sheppered Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year in 2021 after the honour eluded him for two years. Previously he has won the prestigious award in 2016 and 2017. Erasmus is a member of the Elite Panel of Umpires in ICC. Until now, he has umpired in 70 Tests, 102 ODIs and 35 T20is.
Richard Kettleborough
The English umpire was included in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in May 2011. He won the David Sheppered Trophy thrice in a row between 2013 and 2015. Kettleborough has officiated in 72 Tests, 92 ODIs and 30 T20is.
Kumar Dharamasena
Only umpire ever to represent his cricketing nation in the finals of ICC World Cup both as a player and as an umpire. Dharamasena is currently a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and has won the David Sheppered Trophy in the years 2012 and 2018. Till now, he has stood as an umpire in 71 Tests, 114 ODIs and 33 T20is.
Richard Illingworth
Illingworth concludes the list of Top 7 Umpires. He joined the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in 2013 and since then has officiated 57 Tests, 71 ODIs and 21 T20is. He recently umpired in the final of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021. He won the ICC Umpire of the Year award in 2019.
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