THE tragic news of the death of world renowned test and ODI cricket umpire David Shepherd is shocking.

He was by far the most respected and one of the best umpires in the world. Together with Dickie Bird, he made up an excellent combination in the middle, no matter where the venue used to be.

His unique on-the-field 'one-legged dance' every time the score was on a Nelson will be remembered by all cricket lovers forever. Having officiated in 92 Tests and 172 one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals, speaks volumes of his immense talents and credentials, which are second to none in the world of cricket. On top of that, he was an excellent first class cricketer too and had a productive career as batsman for the Gloucestershire County in the UK, hitting 10,672 runs in a career lasting from 1965 to 1979.

He was a great person with an excellent sense of humour. I have the honour of meeting him in person at the famous and historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium during his umpiring stints there in the 1990s and found him to be an outstanding person, who knew how to operate professionally amid a highly-charged, maddening and emotional crowd, especially during the Pakistan vs India matches.

During one of the ODI matches at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium between Pakistan and the West Indies, I explicitly remember that due to intensive heat, humidity and dust, his partner Dickie Bird got so exhausted that he had to be virtually carried off the field by the fielding West Indies players.

Since it was a neutral venue wherein only neutral officiating umpires were allowed by the ICC, a trifle problem occurred when the standby umpire was found to be a Pakistani. Nevertheless, the West Indies Captain and players graciously allowed the Pakistani umpire to officiate in place of the exhausted Dickie Bird. David Shepherd also accepted his presence, but only as a 'leg umpire', to continue with the game.

Every cricket lover will fondly remember his last and final ODI match that he officiated between England and Australia at the famous Oval Cricket Stadium in England, where he received a standing ovation from the entire crowd, including players and officials.

May the Almighty bless his soul and grant his family, friends, associates and the entire global cricket fraternity the courage and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

DR AAMIR A. SALARIA

Missouri, USA