Steve Bucknor
Encyclopedia
The Honourable
Stephen Anthony Bucknor OJ
, also known as Steve Bucknor, is a former international cricket umpire. He was born in Montego Bay
, Jamaica
, on 31 May 1946. He became a high school mathematics
teacher and sports coach, before becoming an international football referee and a cricket umpire. In October 2007, he was awarded the Order of Jamaica
, Commander Class, for "outstanding services in the field of sports".
at Antigua on 18 March 1989. His first Test match
was at Sabina Park
, Kingston, Jamaica, between 28 April and 3 May 1989, with the competing teams again being the West Indies and India. After umpiring in a few international matches, he was selected to umpire at the 1992 Cricket World Cup
in Australia, and went on to stand in the final despite being quite inexperienced. Bucknor also stood in the next four World Cup finals in 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007, with the 2007 World Cup taking place in his native West Indies.
In 1994 the ICC introduced a policy whereby one of the umpires in each Test match would be independent of the competing nations, selected from the International Panel of Umpires. Bucknor was a member of this panel from its foundation until the ICC changed its policy on umpires again in 2002. Since then both umpires in Test matches, and one of the umpires in ODI's have been independent of the competing countries. The officials are now chosen from the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, whom the ICC consider to be the world's best umpires. Bucknor maintained a place on the Elite Panel since its foundation until his retirement.
In May 2006, he accused TV companies of doctoring their images to make umpires look bad and key players look good. He was one of five officials, responsible for the wrong decision in the 2007 World Cup final, resulting in play continuing in poor light. Consequently, all five officials were suspended from the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa. Dave Richardson, the general manager of cricket at the ICC, has said Bucknors umpiring accuracy was at 96% during 2005-06, above the average of 94.8% for the Elite Panel. In 2007, he was short-listed for the Umpire of the Year award, which was ultimately won by Simon Taufel. After receiving criticism over his officiating during India's 2007-08 tour to Australia, he was replaced by Billy Bowden
for the third Test match. Former umpire Dickie Bird suggested that Bucknor had "gone on too long", while Bucknor blamed India's financial power for his ouster.
The ICC confirmed on 23 February 2009 that Bucknor had decided to retire from umpiring in March 2009. His final Test match was the 3rd Test between South Africa
and Australia
at Cape Town on 19–23 March, and his last One Day International match was the 4th ODI between his native West Indies and England at Barbados on 29 March, bringing his 20 year career as an official to an end.
Bucknor was presented with an award before his final Test match and was given a standing ovation at the start of each of his final matches, by all spectators and the players. A tribute was shown to the crowd on the big screen at the end of the ODI between West Indies and England.
the only umpire to have stood in more ODIs.
s for umpiring in 100 ODIs, as well as the Golden Bails Award
for umpiring 100 Test matches.
referee in the World Cup qualifier between El Salvador and the Netherlands Antilles in 1988. Soon after this, Bucknor had to retire from football refereeing because the FIFA age limit for referees was lowered to 45. However, this allowed him to pursue his career as a cricket umpire.
in Jamaican parish leagues
in the 1960s. In 1964 he played in goal for Jamaica in a schoolboy international versus Brazil
, which Jamaica drew 1-1.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Stephen Anthony Bucknor OJ
Order of Jamaica
The Order of Jamaica is the fourth of the five ranks in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969, and is considered the equivalent of knighthood in the British honours system....
, also known as Steve Bucknor, is a former international cricket umpire. He was born in Montego Bay
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, on 31 May 1946. He became a high school mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
teacher and sports coach, before becoming an international football referee and a cricket umpire. In October 2007, he was awarded the Order of Jamaica
Order of Jamaica
The Order of Jamaica is the fourth of the five ranks in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969, and is considered the equivalent of knighthood in the British honours system....
, Commander Class, for "outstanding services in the field of sports".
Cricket umpire
Bucknor's first international cricket fixture was a One Day International (ODI) between the West Indies and IndiaIndian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
at Antigua on 18 March 1989. His first Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
was at Sabina Park
Sabina Park
Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
, Kingston, Jamaica, between 28 April and 3 May 1989, with the competing teams again being the West Indies and India. After umpiring in a few international matches, he was selected to umpire at the 1992 Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
in Australia, and went on to stand in the final despite being quite inexperienced. Bucknor also stood in the next four World Cup finals in 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007, with the 2007 World Cup taking place in his native West Indies.
In 1994 the ICC introduced a policy whereby one of the umpires in each Test match would be independent of the competing nations, selected from the International Panel of Umpires. Bucknor was a member of this panel from its foundation until the ICC changed its policy on umpires again in 2002. Since then both umpires in Test matches, and one of the umpires in ODI's have been independent of the competing countries. The officials are now chosen from the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, whom the ICC consider to be the world's best umpires. Bucknor maintained a place on the Elite Panel since its foundation until his retirement.
In May 2006, he accused TV companies of doctoring their images to make umpires look bad and key players look good. He was one of five officials, responsible for the wrong decision in the 2007 World Cup final, resulting in play continuing in poor light. Consequently, all five officials were suspended from the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa. Dave Richardson, the general manager of cricket at the ICC, has said Bucknors umpiring accuracy was at 96% during 2005-06, above the average of 94.8% for the Elite Panel. In 2007, he was short-listed for the Umpire of the Year award, which was ultimately won by Simon Taufel. After receiving criticism over his officiating during India's 2007-08 tour to Australia, he was replaced by Billy Bowden
Billy Bowden
Brent Fraser "Billy" Bowden is an international cricket umpire from New Zealand. He was a player until he began to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and took up umpiring...
for the third Test match. Former umpire Dickie Bird suggested that Bucknor had "gone on too long", while Bucknor blamed India's financial power for his ouster.
The ICC confirmed on 23 February 2009 that Bucknor had decided to retire from umpiring in March 2009. His final Test match was the 3rd Test between South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
and Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
at Cape Town on 19–23 March, and his last One Day International match was the 4th ODI between his native West Indies and England at Barbados on 29 March, bringing his 20 year career as an official to an end.
Bucknor was presented with an award before his final Test match and was given a standing ovation at the start of each of his final matches, by all spectators and the players. A tribute was shown to the crowd on the big screen at the end of the ODI between West Indies and England.
Cricket World Cup
Bucknor has stood as an onfield umpire in five World Cup tournaments, during which he has officiated 44 matches including a record five finals.Test match record
Bucknor holds the record for the most Test matches umpired, and was the first umpire to have officiated in over 100 Test matches (he was later joined in this distinction by Rudi Koertzen). He has stood in 14 Ashes Test matches and officiated in Bangladesh's first ever Test match.One day internationals
Bucknor has officiated in the second highest number of ODIs, with Rudi KoertzenRudi Koertzen
Rudolf Eric Koertzen otherwise known as Rudi Koertzen is a former international cricket umpire. His name is pronounced in English....
the only umpire to have stood in more ODIs.
Awards
Bucknor has received the ICC's Bronze Bails AwardBronze Bails Award
The Bronze Bails Award in the sport of Cricket, is award given by the International Cricket Council to umpires who have officiated in 100 One Day Internationals.-Recipients:Bronze Bails awardees include:* Steve Bucknor...
s for umpiring in 100 ODIs, as well as the Golden Bails Award
Golden Bails Award
The Golden Bails Award in the sport of Cricket, is award given by the International Cricket Council to umpires who have officiated in 100 test matches.-Related awards:...
for umpiring 100 Test matches.
International umpiring statistics
Match record| First | Last | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | West Indies v India at Kingston Sabina Park Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket".... , Apr 1989 |
South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Mar 2009 | 128 |
| ODIs | West Indies v India at St. John's Antigua Recreation Ground Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team... , Mar 1989 |
West Indies v England at Bridgetown, Mar 2009 | 181 |
Football referee
Bucknor was a FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
referee in the World Cup qualifier between El Salvador and the Netherlands Antilles in 1988. Soon after this, Bucknor had to retire from football refereeing because the FIFA age limit for referees was lowered to 45. However, this allowed him to pursue his career as a cricket umpire.
Football goalkeeper
Bucknor played as a goalkeeperGoalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
in Jamaican parish leagues
Parishes of Jamaica
Administratively, Jamaica is divided into fourteen parishes. They are grouped into three historic counties, which have no administrative relevance :...
in the 1960s. In 1964 he played in goal for Jamaica in a schoolboy international versus Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, which Jamaica drew 1-1.
Further reading
- Silvera, Janet. (7 October 2007) Jamaica GleanerGleanerGleaner may refer to:*Gleaner Company, a newspaper publishing enterprise in Jamaica.*Gleaner Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of combine harvesters.*Gleaning, the collection of crops left over after harvest....
Howzat? Firm decisions make Bucknor a hit. - Tribute to the retiring Steve Bucknor
External links
- Steve Bucknor Profile on CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
website. - Main page of Elite Panel.