09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

WELLINGTON, Jan 8: New Zealand cricket umpire Brent Bowden has denied claims that his exuberant behavior at the end of Stephen Waugh's farewell test in Sydney was unprofessional.

Bowden, who stood in the Test between India and Australia - the last of Waugh's distinguished career - hugged the Australian captain, took photographs and grabbed stumps as souvenirs as the emotionally charged match ended late Tuesday.

He admitted on Thursday he had been affected the occasion as Waugh left the Sydney Cricket Ground to a standing ovation after scoring 80 to lead his team to a respectable draw. But the flamboyant Kiwi denied that his behavior had been improper for a match official. "I don't think I was being unprofessional," Bowden told Wellington's Dominion-Post newspaper.

"It was after the game. I was (exhausted) after all the pressure involved. It was a time to relax and do what you like. "Steve's going was a special moment for me and I wanted to capture it with my camera."

Bowden said he hugged Waugh and told him "thanks for the memories and all the best." He said he'd given one of his two souvenir stumps to Waugh on learning the Australian captain did not have one.

"It was a way of saying thankyou for all the support he had given in the last two weeks," he said. Bowden's behavior has been widely remarked upon in Australia but he stoutly defended his flamboyance.

"I'm not a clown," he said. "My first priority is to get the decisions right but I want to enjoy it and entertain the crowd." Bowden is due to officiate in three limited-overs internationals between New Zealand and Pakistan in New Zealand over the next 10 days.- AP