The nemesis of the Indian Test team and Sachin Tendulkar in particular, Steve Bucknor has decided to call it a day after the SA-Australia series. That piece of news must have caused a mini celebration in the Indian camp currently in NZ. Bucknor never embraced the technology and the options available to him to make good decisions but rather stuck to his old fashioned ways of umpiring. As the age caught up with him and the technology improved, his mistakes became glaringly visible. He was not called Silent Death for nothing.
He was instrumental in quite a few dubious decisions against the India team and specifically against Sachin. In my opinion his worst decision was the not out verdict for a caught behind appeal against Symonds in the infamous Sydney test. Then there is another one against Sachin in Pakistan where he ruled him out in fading light when the fielding team also could not have seen the ball. And there is another one where the ball hit Sachin on the shoulder and he was ruled OUT. He also had reported Rahul Dravid for ball tampering. The list goes on and on.
I think the quality of cricket umpiring can only improve with his departure. Also the Indian batsmen can now walk freely to the crease and not have their innings short circuited by Mr. Bucknor.
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