Dickie Bird, a legendary English umpire, died on Tuesday at the age of 92.
Bird officiated 66 Test matches and 69 One-Day Internationals over his more than 20-year tenure, which included the first three Men’s ODI World Cup finals.
“Dickie Bird enjoyed an illustrious career as an international umpire, writing his name into history as the most famous and popular official in the game’s history,” Yorkshire Cricket Club said in a statement.
“Over a distinguished career, he officiated in 66 Test matches and 69 one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals — earning the admiration of players and fans alike for his integrity, humour, and unmistakable style.
“He is synonymous with Yorkshire Cricket, where he has been one of the most loyal supporters. In 2014, he was named president of The Yorkshire County Cricket Club, a role he held with pride and distinction.”
Bird established himself as an international umpire while playing for the English counties of Leicestershire and Yorkshire. Before beginning his international umpiring career in 1973, Bird played two List A matches and 93 first-class games throughout his domestic career, scoring 3314 runs.
After officiating the Lord’s Test match against India, which featured the debuts of former Indian captains Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, he retired in 1996.
