Much-adored umpire Harold “Dickie” Bird died at the age of 92. He officiated in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs in a long career that extended from 1973 to 1996.
Bird’s last Test was the 1996 Lord’s match between India and England, where former skippers Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly made their debut in the traditional format.
“It is with profound sadness that The Yorkshire County Cricket Club announces the passing of Harold Dennis “Dickie” Bird, one of cricket’s most beloved figures, who died peacefully at home at the age of 92,” the county club said in a statement. “He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility and joy, and a legion of admirers across generations,” the Yorkshire club said.
Bird had a long association with Yorkshire, starting his first-class career with the county in 1956. By the end of his career in 1964, Bird made 3,314 runs from 93 matches with two hundreds.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) too condoled Bird’s death. "Everyone at the England & Wales Cricket Board is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dickie Bird. A proud Yorkshireman and a much-loved umpire, he will be sorely missed," the ECB posted on its X handle.
Bird was also a favourite with the spectators and the players alike for the accuracy of his decisions and idiosyncrasies, which included arriving at the match venue as early as 6 am. During a 1974 Test match at Old Trafford against England, Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar got a haircut from Bird because his hair kept getting into his eyes.
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The Englishman used a pair of scissors he kept to cut threads from the ball's seam to trim Gavaskar's hair in the middle of the match, later exclaiming: “What all umpires need to carry.” But Bird was always a likeable figure on the field, and the best players of his time held him in high esteem. “They all rated me the best: Sobers, Richards, Lillee and Botham. That means a lot, I can tell you!” he had once said.
Bird remained unmarried, but was part of some great friend circles, including late Queen Elizabeth, frequenting to her tea parties, writer Stephen King and a generation of British Prime Ministers like John Major. He wrote two bestsellers, “My Autobiography” and “The White Cap and Bails”. After retiring from umpiring, Bird kept himself active through quiz sessions, after-dinner talks and chat shows, which were highly entertaining.
He was a unique character, says Gavaskar
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar condoled Bird’s death, saying the Englishman was a "unique character" who understood the "tensions and pressures" of the players.
"That was a sad news indeed. Having played the game at the first-class level, Dickie knew the tensions and pressures the players undergo and so was sympathetic to their frustrations if his decisions didn't go their way," said Gavaskar. The former Indian skipper said the players loved him because he was always ready to chat between overs and sometimes between deliveries too.
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