Simon - Please come back

The cry in India in the early 19^th century was, “Simon Go Back” and here we are, in the early 20^th century when the world is shouting, “Simon Please Come Back”. Simon Taufel, one of the best Umpires ever to grace a cricket pitch, announced his retirement from all forms of the game after the recently concluded T20 World Cup. So, with the World Cup done and dusted, the day is upon us, and Simon will not be seen officiating any match henceforth.

When we talk about cricket, we talk about the legends of the game, who by sheer virtue of their skill, entertained the world and won their country honours. But you rarely find an umpire being termed a legend, and Taufel was one of the few. The other names that come to mind when one talks about great umpires is probably Dickie Bird, David Shepherd, Steve Bucknor, Rudi Koertzen, but what Taufel has achieved at this young age and the consistency he exhibited, he deserves to have his name right up there. His career began with his debut match being the Boxing Day Test between Australia and the West Indies in Melbourne in 2000, at the age of 29.

When we talk about someone’s greatness, the feats he has achieved in his career are bound to be mentioned; the few highlights of Taufel’s career would be:

1. Won 5 consecutive ICC Umpire of the year awards from 2004-08.
2. Youngest Umpire to receive Bronze Bails Award; award given by the ICC to umpires who have officiated in 100 One Day Internationals.

These are feats one should be proud of and the best thing about Simon was that he was humble and down to earth.

Simon in one of his concluding interviews, talked about how the attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Pakistan had changed his life. He considers himself very lucky to be alive and here with his family.

Now leaving, he talked about the most memorable and exciting moments of his career, where he told that the Semi-Final between India and Pakistan was his favourite; the tie was always going to be a cracker. The Prime Ministers of both countries were present, which made it even more special for him.

Talking about the challenges, he termed the India-England Test in Mumbai, the “longest five days” of his career, owing to the fact he was not 100% fit and also the challenge it posed.

The reason for his retirement was the dip in his form off late; he wasn’t able to match the standards he had set for himself and that little inconsistency prompted him to take the decision. He is going on a high and the world will remember him as the best; even the ICC chief executive, Dave Richardson told in an interview that if an ICC hall of fame of Umpires would ever exist, Simon would be the man to be 1^st up there.

So, another legend bids adieu to the game of cricket, though Taufel will be associated with the game behind the scenes, acting as the ICC High Performance Manager for Umpires.

Salute to the consistent, high performer and a word from the fans world over, “We will mss you Simon”.