Legendary cricket umpire Dickie Bird has died aged 92, Yorkshire County Cricket Club has said.
In a statement, the club said: “It is with profound sadness that The Yorkshire County Cricket Club announces the passing of Harold Dennis “Dickie” Bird MBE OBE, one of cricket’s most beloved figures, who died peacefully at home at the age of 92.
“Dickie Bird enjoyed an illustrious career as an international umpire, writing his name into history as the most famous and popular official in the game’s history.
X
This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
“He is synonymous with Yorkshire Cricket, where he has been one of the most loyal supporters. In 2014, he was named President of The Yorkshire County Cricket Club, a role he held with pride and distinction, with the club winning two County Championship titles during his tenure.”
Image:
Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird and Australian bowler Dennis Lillee in 1981. File pic: PA
Image:
Harold (Dickie) Bird with his OBE in 2012. File pic: PA
Describing him as “one of the most prominent umpires of his era”, the club said he “will be truly missed by all at the club, having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here and will be remembered as one of the greatest characters in Yorkshire’s history.”
Bird came to be one of the best-known figures in the sport, an outstanding umpire also famous for his amusing interactions with players and fans alike, as well as his seeming talent for being involved in quirky, memorable moments.
Among the incidents that saw his legend grow were a bomb scare at Lord’s, when he observed proceedings while sitting on the covers in the centre of the pitch, the burst water pipes at Headingley and his entertaining exchange of opinions with a frustrated crowd, a first recorded instance of ‘good light stopped play’ thanks to a Trent Bridge greenhouse and an elbow injury sustained while slipping in the showers at the Women’s World Cup.
In an umpiring career spanning nearly 30 years, he stood in 66 Test matches and 69 One Day Internationals, including three World Cup finals.
Image:
Dickie Bird and the Prince of Wales looking at Bird’s statue in Barnsley in 2012. File pic: PA
Image:
Dickie Bird and Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale with the County Championship trophy in 2015. File pic: PA
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.