Thaindian News

Sydney, June 30 (IANS) Cricket Australia (CA) will be using the experience of umpire Daryl Harper to train and educate its umpires.

Harper, who was supposed to stand in the third cricket Test between India and the West Indies, took early retirement after he was criticised for some of his poor decisions in the first Test in Kingston.

CA, however, congratulated Harper and welcomed him back in the organisation.

CA’s Umpire Manager Sean Cary said: “Daryl has had an amazing career as a match official and becoming Australia’s most capped cricket umpire is testament to his passion and commitment to the game.”

“I was fortunate enough to play Sheffield Shield cricket with Daryl officiating at one end - it was always reassuring to know we had one of the best managing our matches. Daryl has had a wonderful international career, however let’s not forget where he started. In total Daryl officiated in 830 cricket matches, the vast majority of those at grass roots level.”

“Daryl will be used in CA’s umpire education and training programs, he’s too good a resource to let go. Daryl has already made a significant contribution to the development of umpiring in Australia and we all look forward to welcoming him back into CA umpiring,” Cary added.

CA’s acting chief executive officer Michael Brown said Australia’s next generation of umpires will benefit from Harper’s experience.

“Daryl has been a fine servant of the game over a very long period of time. Any international umpire who stands in 95 Test matches, 174 One-day International’s and 10 Twenty20 international matches has shown the highest degree of professionalism over a long and distinguished career. Cricket Australia is proud of one of our own having achieved such a fine record and we look forward to the next generation of Australian umpires benefitting from his accrued wisdom when Daryl helps our umpire education and training programme in the coming years,” he said.

Daryl officiated 95 Test matches between 1998 and 2011, which places him third in the all-time list behind Steve Bucknor (128 Tests) and Rudi Koertzen (108 Tests).

The 59-year-old from South Australia made his first class umpiring debut in 1987, when South Australia played New Zealand. Daryl made his international ODI debut January 14, 1994 at Perth in a match between New Zealand and South Africa. In November 1998, he made his Test debut as Australia took on England in the Ashes at the same venue. He finished his career with a huge tally of 279 international appointments.