Cricket: Bowden comfortable with decisions

Billy Bowden

Oddball New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden yesterday broke his self-imposed media ban - albeit briefly - to defend his controversial performance in Australia.

Bowden will team with Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar in today's second Chappell-Hadlee one-dayer at Wellington - the first time the pair have been together since they copped heavy criticism for their efforts during last month's third test between the West Indies and Australia.

So fierce was it that Bowden was last week moved to slap a self-imposed gagging order on himself, claiming the media was out to get him and that he was reverting to an ICC protocol that advised umpires to refrain from commenting.

The move came just days after 73 per cent of Australia's professional cricketers voted him the worst umpire in the world.

The West Indies, in particular, were incensed at what they claimed were four dubious decisions on the fourth day of the third test but Bowden was unapologetic last night, saying he had nothing to worry about.

"I am happy. I can look at myself in the mirror," he said.

Asked to expand on that and on his relationship with Australia, he suddenly remembered his gagging order, and replied, "No comment. I have got to go," and hung up.

Bowden has polarised cricket fans with his antics since being promoted on to the ICC's elite panel, raising eyebrows not only with his eccentric signals, but also with his general behaviour - such as fawning over Aussie skipper Steve Waugh and taking the Ashes test match ball as a souvenir from victorious England wicket-keeper Geraint Jones.

His latest controversy involves an episode from the fifth Ashes test at the Oval, and his behaviour after giving Australian captain Ricky Ponting not out following a strong appeal for a bat-pad catch.

Ponting revealed in his tour diary that he had indeed hit the ball and should have been given out, but that Bowden would continue to insist that he hadn't, and that he had made a great decision.

Ponting said Bowden even visited him in the dressing room later that day to tell him the decision had been accurate - even though television replays suggested otherwise.