Who is Dickie Bird: Explore the Journey of Legendary Umpire from 1973-1996

In what was the most tragic news of the day, one of the most beloved umpires in cricket's history, Dickie Bird passed away on Tuesday (23rd September). The Englishman died at the age of 92 and left behind a legacy that is unmatchable.

Dickie Bird is regarded as one of the best umpires in cricket. Dickie Bird left an unparalleled legacy in the game of cricket. The legendary umpire played a key role in the growth of the sport in the 20th century. With his death, an era has come to an end.

Who is Dickie Bird?

Dickie Bird started his career as a top-order batter for Yorkshire and also served as president in 2014. He started his career in 1956 and then moved to Leicestershire in 1960. However, an unfortunate injury forced him to call early retirement as he ended with an average of 20. 71 in 93 first-class matches, making two centuries.

After his career was cut short by an injury, he moved to umpiring and ended up as one of the best match officials. Bird made his umpiring debut in May 1970 and went on to officiate in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, including three World Cup finals, and was known for his out-of-the-box decisions and other activities.

Dickie Bird Wife

In what was the most shocking thing, Dickie Bird never married. However, he often used to say that Dickie Bird’s wife is the game of cricket. Later, he was also known as ‘magnetic umpire, who married himself to cricket’.

Dickie Bird Net Worth

With Dickie Bird umpire passing away, many have been wondering about his net worth. However, it is learned that there is no clue of his net worth as there are no financial records or reports that detail his personal wealth. His cricketing career and umpiring era went through when there was no social media. However, it can be assumed that he earned a good amount of money.

Memorable Umpiring Decisions of Dickie Bird

Dickie Bird umpiring career started on a shaky note and one of the famous incidents of his career happened when he went to London to officiate for his second game, which was Surrey vs Yorkshire at The Oval. The game was scheduled to start at 11 AM and he arrived at 6 AM.

However, what caught the attention of many was, he was caught by a policeman in an attempt to scale the wall of the still-locked ground. Bird, who was mostly known for not giving lbw, became the Centre of attraction for many dismissals.

One of the most famous decisions of his career came in the final game of his career, which was between India and England at Lord's, the premier cricket stadium in England. After an emotional guard of honour from the players, he adjudged Mike Atherton lbw in the first over of the match, which seemed not out.

Another famous decision of his career came in the West Indies Test at Old Trafford in 1995. In what was the most hilarious incident, he halted the game due to an excess of sunlight, which had been reflecting off an open window behind the bowler's arm.

In the same match, another incident that happened caught the attention of many. He dropped a pocket-ful of marbles that he used to count the deliveries in an over. This was confirmed by Mike Atherton, who wrote it in his autobiography.