Even though cricket is termed as a gentleman’s game, it has been surrounded by controversy ever since its inception. It is a game where umpires are held in the highest esteem as their decisions play a major role in deciding the outcome of the match.
Over the years we have witnessed a mixture of both extraordinary and controversial decisions given by umpires, but with the emergence of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS), the percentage of wrong decisions have reduced significantly.
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While wrong decisions from an umpire is a part and parcel of the game, there are certain umpires who has been in the thick of controversies on numerous occasions and have hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
Here are five of the most controversial umpires of all time:
#5 Shakoor Rana
The former Pakistani umpire was in the center of controversy in a Test match between England and Pakistan in 1987 when he was involved in a heated argument with England captain Mike Gatting.
The argument halted the match as both of them squabbled and fingers were pointed at each other which was broadcasted worldwide. The foul language used by them was clearly audible through the stump mic. Rana accused Gatting of cheating as he reportedly changed his fielding position during the bowler’s delivery stride.
The umpire was also wearing a Pakistani sweater and hat which didn’t go well with England either. Gatting eventually issued an apology after the umpire threatened to leave the game.
Gatting was not the only captain who had an argument with Rana. In 1984, Kiwis captain Jeremy Coney threatened to leave the field with his team after Rana had passed a controversial decision in favour of Javed Miandad
#4 Darrel Hair
Ever since his umpiring debut in 1991, Darrel Hair was involved in many controversies for his dubious decisions. He was renowned for his harsh calls, especially against Asian countries.
In a Test match in Australia, Hair no-balled Muthiah Muralitharan seven times for alleged chucking in a space of three overs. Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga left the field with his team in utter disgust, though they returned after a short while.
According to ICC rules, an umpire must report a suspect action of a bowler to the match referee rather than calling it on the field which Hair did. He even termed Murali’s action as “diabolical”.
He was involved in one of the biggest ever on-field controversies, during a Test match between England and Pakistan at the Oval in 2006. On field umpires, Billy Doctrove and Darrel Hair charged the Pakistan cricket team for ball tampering and awarded England five penalty runs and also asked for a change of ball.
The infuriated Pakistan team didn’t take the field after the tea interval and the match was awarded to England after thirty minutes. It was the first ever forfeiture in a Test match since Test cricket’s inception in 1877. Hair finally retired as an international umpire in 2008.
#3 Asad Rauf
Rauf was one of the best Pakistani umpires till 2013, but a dramatic turn of events in his life led to his suspension as an international umpire. In 2012, Rauf was accused by a Delhi-based model of sexual harassment, and she even leaked some of their intimate pictures in social networking site.
She accused Rauf of promising to marry only to fulfil his sexual desires. She later withdrew her charges.
The Pakistani umpire was again in the spotlight in late 2013, as he was accused of cheating, betting and forgery by the Mumbai Police. He was reportedly involved in the 2013 IPL spot fixing saga. The ICC took prompt action and removed his name immediately from the officials list for the 2013 Champions Trophy.
#2 Mark Benson
Benson was a reputed umpire in the international circuit and was also awarded the umpire of the year for two consecutive years in 2007 and 2008. But the 2008 Sydney Test involving India and Australia took a dramatic reverse turn in his career.
With Steve Bucknor, the duo was involved in several controversial decisions throughout the Test, a match which is regarded as the most disgraceful Test as far as controversial umpiring decisions are concerned.
The controversy began on the very first morning, when Ricky Ponting was incorrectly given not out, despite nicking a delivery down the leg side of the bowling of Sourav Ganguly. Wrong decisions kept coming throughout Australia’s 1st innings as they recovered from 134/6 to post a mammoth 463.
Benson also irked Indian supporters when he asked Ricky Ponting whether Michael Clarke took the catch to dismiss Sourav Ganguly cleanly in the slips in India’s 2nd innings. Replays suggested that the ball had clearly touched the ground before Clarke held it.
Benson opposed the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in 2009 and eventually retired from international cricket in the same year.
#1 Steve Bucknor
West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor is undoubtedly the most controversial umpire of all time and was involved in several altercations during his tenure as an international umpire. Arguably the greatest batsman of all time, Sachin Tendulkar, was at the receiving end of many dubious decisions given by Bucknor.
The trend which started in 1992, eventually ended in 2008, when he was suspended from umpiring in the Perth Test involving India and Australia, after a series of dubious decisions in the infamous Sydney Test.
On the first day of the Sydney Test, Bucknor adjudged Andrew Symonds not out after the batsman clearly edged an Ishant Sharma delivery to MS Dhoni. That was just the beginning of what was about to come. Symonds was wrongly given not out on two more occasions, as he notched up a century which bailed the hosts out of trouble. The controversial decisions kept coming from Bucknor which ultimately led to his suspension from the next Test.
Following the match, Famous Umpire Dickie Bird also felt “he had gone on too long.” Apart from the decisions, Bucknor also mimicked Rahul Dravid for which he was fined 50% of his match fees.
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