Tribute to South African umpire Rudy Kurtzen after he died in a car accident. Cricket News – Times of India

Johannesburg: Fellow umpires and former players on Tuesday paid tribute to the former South African umpire Rudy Kurtzen, who died in a car accident on Tuesday morning.
The 73-year-old was known as the ‘slow death’ because he took the time to lift a finger to signal the batsman was out. He made a record 331 international matches, including 108 Tests, between 1992 and his retirement in 2010.
Pakistan umpire Alim DaroThose who have since surpassed Kurtzen’s record described Kurtzen’s death as “an enormous loss”.
“I stood by him in so many games,” Dar said.

“He was very good not only as an umpire but also an excellent ally, always very supportive on the field and always ready to help off the field as well. The way he was, he was respected by the players as well. it was done.”
fellow south african marais erasmus Kurtzen as “a strong character both physically and mentally”.
Erasmus, three times crowned as the International Cricket Council’s Umpire of the Year, said of Kurtzen, “He paved the way for South African umpires to reach the world stage and gave us all the confidence that it is possible. True legend. As a young umpire, I learned a lot from him.”
Former Sri Lankan star and former President of MCC, Kumar Sangakkaradescribed Kurtzen as “an amazing friend and umpire” in a tweet. Honest, candid and loved the game.

former Indian batsman Virender Sehwag described how Kurtzen would scold him for playing a quick shot, telling him, “Play smart, I want to see your batting.”

Kurtzen used ‘Slow Death’ as ​​the title of his autobiography.
“I used to put my hands in front of me and every time there was an appeal, I would fold them against my ribs,” Kourtzen said in an interview.
“Then someone said to me ‘Rudy, you can’t do that. Every time you raise a hand to turn him, the bowler thinks you’re going to give him a wicket.’
“So I started holding my wrist backwards. The finger slowly comes out as I take time to let go of my grip.”

Kurtzen’s sense of theater was displayed in the final Test of the 2005 Ashes Test series between England and Australia.
It was a gradual wicket to show that the game had been abandoned, to show that the match had ended in a draw, to confirm that it had sealed a series victory for England. went towards.
He was the television umpire in the 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cup finals, but the umpiring team for the latter match, between Australia and Sri Lanka in Barbados, was criticized for interpreting the rules regarding poor lighting at the chaotic end of the game.
Koertzen was a keen golfer who maintained a single figure handicap until the time of his death, which came when the car he was traveling in was involved in a collision on the N2 highway between Cape Town and Gqeberha.
He was traveling with friends from a golf trip in Cape Town on his way home to the Eastern Cape. Three other people died in the accident.
For the Test series starting next week, the South African team in England wore a black band in his memory on the first day of their match against England Lions in Canterbury on Tuesday.