Dickie Bird — the rockstar among cricket umpires

Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird, who passed away on Tuesday, was destined for a life in sports. His father James Bird, having spent his life toiling hard as a coal miner in Barnsley, was not about to let his son follow that same tough path. “You will play sport for a living. You will not go down that coal mine like I did,” James told a young Dickie.

And thus Bird laced up his football boots, playing alongside his close mate Tommy Taylor, who would go on to represent Manchester United and England.

A knee injury forced Bird to trade the tough tackles for cover drives. As a teenager turning out for Barnsley Cricket Club, Bird counted two more celebrities-in-waiting — television presenter Michael Parkinson and legendary England opener Geoffrey Boycott — as teammates.

Bird went on to have a long run in the senior ranks — earning 93 First Class caps for Yorkshire and Leicestershire. It was towards the end of his playing career that he decided to give umpiring an honest shot.

Bird may not have reached the greatest of heights as a cricketer, but with the white coat on, his popularity was unmatched.

A firm, quirky umpire, Bird was loved and respected by players. He stood for tried and tested norms — as evidenced by his reluctance to give leg-before decisions unless the batter was absolutely plumb.

Bird was known to be an ‘early bird’. For his first umpiring gig, Bird turned up to the ground even before the gates were opened!

Bird reached the very top of his profession, having officiated in three ODI World Cup finals (1975, 1979 and 1983).

Bird called time on his international umpiring career in 1996, in the India-England Test at Lord’s. An emotional Bird was given a guard of honour by the players. The call of duty, however, came ever so quickly, as Bird raised his finger to adjudge Michael Atherton leg-before to Javagal Srinath in the very first over of the match.