Debasis Sen in Leeds
Anyone who follows the game of cricket will remember legendary umpire Harold “Dickie” Bird. Along with compatriot David Shepherd, the two English umpires earned the respect of the entire cricket fraternity. The 92-year-old Bird was one of the best-loved and most highly respected umpires. There’s no doubt that in the game of cricket, he was—and remains—a legend because of both his attention to detail and the unflinchingly fair way he oversaw the games. On Monday, a lean-looking Bird, who officiated in 66 Test matches (a world record at the time) and 69 ODIs ((including three World Cup Finals) was at Headingley to watch the fourth day’s proceedings in the ongoing first Test between India and England. In an exclusive chat with RevSportz, the legendary umpire shared his thoughts on watching Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant bat for the first time, the supremacy of Joe Root in world cricket, the emergence of another Yorkshire man Harry Brook, having a statue of himself in his hometown Barnsley and much more. Here are the excerpts:
Do you still enjoy watching a game of cricket at Headingley?
Dickie Bird: Yes, I enjoy coming to all the Test matches at Headingley. I also watch the matches of Yorkshire because I am a life member of the county. That’s how I pass my time. As a life member of MCC, I get invited to watch Test matches across venues in England.
Did you enjoy watching Shubman Gill score a hundred in his maiden Test as captain for India? How do you find Rishabh Pant?
Bird: I was very impressed to see both of them bat for the first time. I think Shubman is going to be a fine player and will definitely find his name in the record books. I honestly think he will be a great batter. As far as Pant is concerned, I think he too should do well as a Test batsman.
Do you reckon Joe Root is the best Test batter now after the retirement of Virat Kohli?
Bird: I think he is the best in the world now. I think there are four. Williamson, Kohli, Smith and Root. They are the best four batsman in the world. I have always been a big admirer of Root. He is probably the best Yorkshire batter after Len Hutton.
Were you disappointed to see Harry Brook miss out on a Test hundred the other day?
Bird: I was very disappointed that Harry missed the hundred. I think he will go a long way. I know him well personally. He can put his name in the record books.
What are your predictions for the ongoing Test series between India and England?
Bird: I think it is going to be a close series. It is the first time I saw [Jasprit] Bumrah. I was so pleased to see him getting five wickets. He deserved it more than anyone. Remember, he had a few catches dropped as well. I was very impressed with him.
You once umpired from both ends in a Test match against West Indies. Do you remember it?
Bird: Yes, I do. It was at Edgbaston. When they (West Indies) had a loud appeal for a leg before against Boycott. I was at square leg. My colleague Arthur Fagg was confronted by the West Indies side which was very strong those days. Fagg said to me he was not going back to the field if he does not get an apology from the Caribbean side. I told him you’ve got to be back on the field, but he shook hands with me and said he was going home. In fact, he went home.
You grew up wanting to be a footballer. Which was your favourite team and player?
Bird: We had many favourite players. We are having a lean time at the moment. I watch matches of Barnsley Football Club. I buy season tickets every year just to support them. I get a lot of pleasure going to the stadium to watch Barnsley play.
Sir Geoffrey Boycott in an interview said you could have ended up scoring more runs had you not been nervous. Do you agree?
Bird: Probably Geoffrey was right. If I had Boycott’s temperament as a batsman, I could have scored more runs.
Also Read: The Drama of Watching Rishabh Pant Bat: Press Box, Balconies, and Stands Hold Their Breath
Do you still remember receiving the guard of honour in your final series against India?
Bird: Yeah, I wanted to do my last Test match against India and I wanted it to be staged at Lord’s.
Finally, when you worked in a coal mine as a teenager, did you even imagine there would be a statue of you in your hometown or a pavilion named after you?
Bird: I am very pleased to have a statue in Barnsley where I was born. I got four doctorates as well for services to cricket and charity. Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Huddersfield – four universities. I used to go to the mines every morning. One day, my father said to me you are going to play cricket to earn a living. I played for Yorkshire. It is an absolute honour to have a big statue of me built on the exact spot where I was born in Barnsley.
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