Cricket: 'Slow death Bucknor' departs test scene quietly

The third test between South Africa and Australia will umpire Steve Bucknor's last test. Photo / Getty Images

CAPE TOWN - Steve Bucknor was forced to retire from his role as an international soccer referee because he was regarded as too old.

Now at 62 after 20 years of umpiring test cricket, he's going out on his own terms.

The tall Jamaican with the famous "Slow Death Bucknor" method of carefully raising his finger will depart the international scene after Australia's third test against South Africa in Cape Town finishes.

"I was never thinking about being an umpire for being such a long period of time," Bucknor told AAP this week.

"I am a bit multi-talented. During 1989 I was an international football referee so my thoughts were on doing better at football rather than cricket.

"I was never thinking that cricket would get me this far. I was an international football referee at the same time.

"There is an age for international football referees and it had moved down from 50 to 45.

"So in 1992 I had to give up football refereeing. It wasn't a choice. It was compulsory that I gave it up," added Bucknor, who has been a Manchester United fan since the Munich air disaster of 1958 claimed the lives of eight players.

While Bucknor has umpired 128 tests and five cricket World Cup finals - both world records - he has been involved in some major controversies and they have involved Australia.

The 2007 World Cup final in Barbados, when Australia beat Sri Lanka to successfully defend their title, ended in near-darkness after the match officials made a mess of the playing regulations.

Bucknor was dumped from the panel for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa later that year.

And who could forget when India dug in their heels and demanded Bucknor be sacked for the Perth test in January last year after his performance in the emotion-charged Sydney Test between Australia and India?

But Bucknor has moved on from those dramas and his main goal after completing the Cape Town test is to prepare his body for a gruelling assault on some over-60s athletics titles back in the West Indies.

He is the reigning 200 metres champion and was runner-up in the 400m, and he's keen to claim that title.

The father of seven and grandfather of seven says his umpiring career would have ended sooner without support from the ICC during the Sydney test crisis.

"I have survived for a long time. Had it not been for strong-willed people within the ICC I might have been out due to negative reactions from certain quarters," Bucknor said.

"When you speak to a captain and he's not happy you are reported.

"If his (national) association is strong enough they may believe that they should take action. Oh, this umpire shouldn't be within the system because the captain is seeing something wrong.

"So I have survived for a long time. I knew there would have been a moment when things would not have gone as well.

"But at the same time, I made two mistakes out of more than 40 calls.

"I got better than 94 per cent in that particular game but it wasn't good enough for some people.

"So mistakes against certain individuals, oh these are bad. But mistakes against others, oh, hands off.

"So I was expecting these things to happen because on earth ... there are some people who are more equal than others.

"Because they are more equal, they seem to have more say. And what they say, especially influenced by money, they seem to have their way. So I'm not too surprised."

Bucknor gives the impression he doesn't suffer fools gladly, but he does enjoy it when the likes of Australia's Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath give him a thorough grilling over why certain appeals were turned down.

"The tough bowlers. Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Andre Nel. These are the top guys in cricket and I enjoy umpiring when they are around for the simple reason regardless of what you do, they see fair play as the most important thing," he said.

"Even when at times they are annoyed, later on Glenn McGrath will say "Steve, I thought that was the correct decision, but I'm coming back for another one".

"In other words, he's happy for the correct decision. He knows he'll have to work very hard to get the batsman out so he's always gunning at you, he's always having a word.

"Shane Warne will say "What was that missing? I didn't think so." Sometimes the replay shows clearly (it wasn't out) and Shane will say "okay Steve, you were correct this time, but I'm trying to get him out.

"So I don't mind it. I like the tough guys, those who will question you. Not being rude but just you know saying, "What was that missing Steve? if you say so, I'll accept it".

Bucknor says former world-record holder Warne is the best bowler he has umpired and Viv Richards is the best batsman.

"Sachin Tendulkar is the best accumulator of runs. Being an accumulator of runs has its place, in as much as Jacqes Kallis is a good accumulator," Bucknor says.

"But Viv Richards destroys bowlers' confidence, he destroys bowling.

"At times you have to be careful because he hits the ball so hard it comes very close to you the umpire standing over the wicket.

"He wanted to make certain that the bowler had nothing over him and remember in those days he only wore his cap.

"I don't remember him being hit in the head at any stage because his technique was so good. He wasn't hiding behind a helmet and hoping that he won't be hit.

"His technique, his eye, his feet movement were so fast that he would challenge fast bowlers about not being hit.

"I can remember a game in which he was tearing apart a bowler and he was saying "umpire please, I know he is bowling so many deliveries short but say nothing to him, I am enjoying myself, allow him to go on.

"I remember Devon Malcolm being hit for five fours in Barbados. Viv enjoyed it and he (Malcolm) was very fast at that time."

Bucknor says his mental approach for his last Test is the same as for any other game.

"I know it is my last but I do not think about it as my last. It's important to do well at any stage - first, last, middle," he said.

- AAP